Interactions between epithelial cells and T lymphocytes: role of adhesion molecules

Cell-cell interaction is critical for normal T cell development and function. A number of adhesion molecules important in T cell interactions with other cell types have been defined. This paper reviews the role of two adhesion pathways, CD2/LFA-3 and LFA-1/ICAM-1, in T cell interactions with epithelial cells of the thymus and skin. While thymic epithelium-T cell interactions are mediated by both the LFA-1/ICAM-1 pathway and the CD2/LFA-3 pathway, epidermal-T cell interactions are mediated primarily by the LFA-1/ICAM-1 pathway. Although ICAM-1 is not expressed in vivo on epidermal keratinocytes in normal skin, ICAM-1 is expressed by epidermal keratinocytes at the site of T cell infiltration in inflammatory dermatitis. ICAM-1 is expressed in vivo on thymic epithelium. These antigen independent adhesion molecules play an important role in the cell-cell interactions associated with T cell differentiation and function.