Road signs guiding leukocytes along the inflammation superhighway

The term inflammation is used to describe the localized tissue changes, inc luding leukocyte extravasation, that occur as part of the response to tissu e damage, infection, or other immuno-logic responses, This carefully orches trated series of events requires the existence of highly specific, regulate d mechanisms For control of leukocyte recruitment and is dependent on both the inciting event and organ involved. This review summarizes recent develo pments in our understanding of how adhesion molecules and chemokines intera ct to facilitate tissue-specific and leukocyte subtype-specific influx duri ng inflammation, Novel mechanisms believed to be responsible for capture an d compartmentalization of B and T lymphocytes within lymph nodes are discus sed, along with a description of adhesion molecule- and chemokine-mediated pathways that are believed to be involved in selective recruitment of lymph ocytes and eosinophils to a variety of tissues, including the skin, gut, an d lung. This growing knowledge and its potential importance provide enthusi asm for future anti-inflammatory therapies that target these recruitment pa thways.