Lymphocyte-endothelial cell adhesive interactions in lung immunity: lessons from the murine response to particulate antigen

The adhesive interaction between lymphocytes and lung endothelial cells pre sents an attractive arena for the development of novel therapeutic agents t o modify pathologic pulmonary immune responses. The conceptual basis for ch oosing molecular targets to modulate this adhesive interaction derives, in large part, from results of murine experimental model systems of the pulmon ary immune response. This article reviews one such model, the response of p rimed C57BL/6 mice to the particulate antigen sheep erythrocytes. Novel dat a are presented on the effect of a blocking anti-alpha(4) integrin monoclon al antibody on lung leukocyte and lymphocyte subset accumulation after intr atracheal (IT) antigen challenge. Results from this model system have indic ated that lymphocytes may use either the endothelial selectins or alpha(4), integrin as independent pathways to initiate recruitment into the lungs. P ublished by Elsevier Science B.V.