Lymphocyte adhesion to endothelium

The different homing and recirculation behaviors of lymphocytes depend on expression of specific adhesion receptors by lymphocytes and endothelial cells. Expression of these receptors is finely regulated according to cell type, functional state, and anatomical location, and builds up a complex network of interactions that simultaneously involve several of these receptors working as 'traffic signals' or 'postcodes' for lymphocyte migration and homing. There are five main families of adhesion molecules: immunoglobulin superfamily, integrins, selectins, cadherins, and mucin-like molecules. Together with these 'classified' receptors, other molecules, such as CD44 and CD38, have been shown to be involved in lymphocyte migration and homing. Leukocytes have evolved a intracellular system that allows them to maintain these receptors in an inactive state during transit in the bloodstream and extracellular fluids and activate them only when proper specific stimuli are delivered. This activity has been called 'inside-out' signaling. Most receptor/ligand systems regulating lymphocyte migration are not selectively dedicated to this function. They are involved in lymphocyte interaction with several cell types and play a key role in both the afferent and efferent branches of immune responses by mediating lymphocyte interaction with APC and target cells. They not only 'passively' anchor lymphocytes to these cells but also exert an active 'outside-in' signaling function that modulates the cell response to activation stimuli. In this review, we briefly describe the major features of these molecules, survey what is known about their role in lymphocyte/endothelium interactions both in vitro and in vivo, and discuss their possible therapeutical application.