ELAM-1 is an adhesion molecule for skin-homing T cells

• Published in: Nature (London) Vol. 349; no. 6312; pp. 796 - 799
• Main Authors: Picker, Louis J, Kishimoto, Takashi K, Smith, C. Wayne, Warnock, R. Aaron, Butcher, Eugene C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing 28.02.1991; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: Adhesion; Analysis of the immune response. Humoral and cellular immunity; Animals; Antigens; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Adhesion; Cell Adhesion Molecules - genetics; Cell Adhesion Molecules - physiology; Cell interactions; Cell Line; Cellular biology; E-Selectin; Endothelial cells; Extravasation; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; Homing; Humans; Immunity (Disease); Immunobiology; Immunoglobulins; Immunological memory; Inflammation; Leukocyte migration; Leukocytes; Leukocytes (neutrophilic); Lymphatic system; Lymphocytes; Lymphocytes T; Memory cells; Molecules; Neutrophils; Neutrophils - physiology; Peripheral blood; Population; Skin; Skin - immunology; T-Lymphocyte Subsets - immunology; T-Lymphocyte Subsets - physiology; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Transfection; Human; Immunohistochemistry; Cell culture; Endothelial cell; Immunological memory; Skin disease; Cell adhesion molecule; Tissue specificity; Cell cell interaction; Inflammation; Adhesion; In vitro; Cell subpopulation; Cell line; Transfection; T-Lymphocyte; Skin
• ISSN: 0028-0836; 1476-4687
• DOI: 10.1038/349796a0

Endothelial cell leukocyte adhesion molecule-1 (ELAM-1) has been described as an inducible endothelial cell-adhesion molecule for neutrophils, and is believed to have a key role in the extravasation of these cells at sites of acute inflammation. Here we report that ELAM-1-transfected COS cells also bind a unique skin-associated subset of circulating memory T cells defined by the expression of the cutaneous lymphocyte-associated antigen. T cells expressing this antigen bind at least as well as neutrophils to expressed ELAM-1, whereas other lymphocytes in the peripheral blood bind poorly, or not at all. Immunohistological survey of chronically inflamed tissue specimens revealed that vascular expression of ELAM-1 occurs at cutaneous sites in preference to noncutaneous sites. We conclude that at sites of chronic inflammation, ELAM-1 may function as a skin vascular addressin, a tissue-selective endothelial cell-adhesion molecule for skin-homing memory T lymphocytes.