ABSTRACT
Binding of B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) cells to other cells and to extracellular matrices influences the pathophysiology and the clinical presentation of the B-CLL disease. It is still unknown which adhesion pathways regulate the traffic of B-CLL cells within distinct histologic compartments of lymphoid organs. In addition, it is not yet clarified which mechanisms mediate the intercellular adhesion of B-CLL cells. The present study sought to identify the mechanisms that are involved in the binding of B-CLL cells to secondary lymphoid organs in situ and in the homotypic aggregation of these cells. B-CLL cells specifically bound to germinal centers of normal human tonsils via the adhesion pair integrin alpha4beta1/vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1). Among a large panel of antibodies tested only mAbs against CD19 induced homotypic adhesion of B-CLL cells via the adhesion molecules integrin alphaL (leukocyte function antigen-1 (LFA-1)), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and CD21. Anti-CD19-induced aggregation required protein synthesis. We hypothesize that the observed heterotypic and homotypic adhesion of B-CLL cells reflects the ability of these leukemic cells to migrate in vivo.
Subject(s)
Extracellular Matrix/physiology , Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/physiopathology , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Antibodies, Monoclonal/pharmacology , Antigens, CD/blood , Antigens, CD/immunology , Antigens, CD/physiology , Apoptosis , Cell Adhesion , Cell Separation , Female , Humans , Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/blood , Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/immunology , Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/pathology , Male , Middle Aged , Tumor Cells, CulturedABSTRACT
Binding of T lymphocytes within the different compartments of the secondary lymphoid organs is crucial for the function of the cellular and the humoral immune response. It is still not known which adhesion molecules guide T cells to the distinct areas of the lymphoid microenvironment. In the current study an in situ adhesion assay was used to define the receptors for binding of T cells to human tonsils. The T cell lines Jurkat and MOLT-4 and normal, activated T cells were found to bind exclusively to germinal centers. Jurkat cells used the receptor pair integrin-alpha4 (VLA-4alpha)/VCAM-1, whereas activated MOLT-4 cells and normal T cells bound via both adhesion pathways, namely via integrin-alpha4/VCAM-1 and LFA-1/ICAM-1 and -2. It is suggested that these adhesion mechanisms are involved in the migration of T cells into the germinal centers of secondary lymphoid organs and that they influence the selection of B cells by apoptosis.
