Adhesion of T-cells to airway smooth muscle cells

Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) have been implicated in many cellular functions, including development, tumor metastasis, leukocyte activation, homing, and transendothelial migration, and can also serve as viral receptors. The role of CAMs on leukocytes and endothelial cells, and the interactions between these cell types, have been extensively characterized. The current model of leukocyte recruitment and homing involves the expression and activation of a cascade of CAMs, as well as the local production of chemoattractants, leading to leukocyte adhesion and transmigration into lymph nodes and sites of inflammation (1). Most studies have focused on the mechanisms that control leukocyte adhesion and transendothelial migration, yet the subsequent interactions of infiltrating leukocytes with other cell types in the submucosa, and with the extracellular matrix, may also be important for sustaining the inflammatory response.