PRODUCTION OF CHEMOTACTIC FACTOR(S) OF LANGERHANS CELLS BY LYMPH-NODECELLS IN CONTACT SENSITIVITY

Langerhans cells (LCs) have to leave the epidermis to migrate into the regional lymph node (LN) after receiving immunogenic signals in conta ct sensitivity. There should be some molecules responsible for migrati on of LC in this process. In order to determine whether LN cells can g enerate such regulatory molecules, we made a search of such molecules in the culture supernatant of LN cells obtained from hapten-painted mi ce by using a modified Boyden chamber method. The molecule of LC chemo taxis appeared in the culture supernatant at 24 h after hapten paintin g and its production declined with time thereafter. Antibodies against both ICAM-1 and LFA-1 partially inhibited the chemotactic activity, b ut this was not the case with anti-TNF-alpha antibody, anti-GM-CSF ant ibody, fibronectin RGDS, RGES peptide or laminin. The molecule was hea t labile and appeared as a molecule of 45-68 kDa on high performance l iquid chromatography. Our results suggest that LN cells generate one o f the chemotactic molecules of LCs, by which LC can migrate to the reg ional LN in contact sensitivity.