Lymphocyte recirculation and homing: roles of adhesion molecules and chemoattractants

Lymphocyte migration from high endothelial venules into lymphoid organs is mediated by a sequence of interactions between cell adhesion molecules on lymphocytes and those on the vascular endothelial cells that line the vessels. recent studies suggest that the so-called lymphocyte homing receptors and vascular addressins regulate the first stages of this process, that of binding of lymphocytes from flowing blood. The subsequent crawling of lymphocytes over the endothelial cell surface and migration across the vessel wall (diapedesis) are regulated independently of initial binding. These latter stages are thought to be mediated by functional activation of integrins on the lymphocyte by chemoattractants located in the vessel wall.