Related Experiment Videos
Peripheral lymph node addressins are expressed on skin endothelial cells.
S Lechleitner1, R Kunstfeld, C Messeritsch-Fanta
1Department of Dermatology, University of Vienna Medical School, Austria.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology
|September 1, 1999
Summary
Peripheral node addressins, endothelial adhesion molecules regulating lymphocyte traffic, were found in skin. Their expression in skin lesions and around hair follicles suggests roles in both disease and normal skin lymphocyte recirculation.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Dermatology
- Vascular Biology
Background:
- Peripheral node addressins are endothelial adhesion molecules crucial for lymphocyte recirculation in lymph nodes.
- Their expression is typically confined to high endothelial venules within lymph nodes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the presence and function of peripheral node addressins in skin, particularly in inflammatory skin diseases and normal skin.
- To characterize the molecular weight of these addressins in different skin contexts.
Main Methods:
- Immunohistochemistry using monoclonal antibody MECA-79 on cryostat sections of skin lesions and normal skin.
- Immunoprecipitation with L-selectin Fc-chimeras followed by immunoblotting to analyze addressin expression.
Main Results:
- Skin endothelial cells in chronic skin diseases exhibited MECA-79 reactivity, similar to lymph node high endothelial venules.
- Cutaneous T cell lymphoma lesions showed an additional 220 kDa peripheral node addressin-like molecule, distinct from lymph node expression (90-110 kDa, 160 kDa).
- Normal skin revealed constitutive expression of 90-110 kDa peripheral node addressin-like moieties on perifollicular endothelium.
Conclusions:
- Induced expression of peripheral node addressins in skin diseases may mediate sustained lymphocyte recruitment.
- Constitutive expression on perifollicular endothelium suggests a role in continuous lymphocyte recirculation through normal skin.