Preferential accumulation of antigen-specific effector CD4 T cells at an antigen injection site involves CD62E-dependent migration but not local proliferation

R. Lee Reinhardt, Daniel C. Bullard, Casey T. Weaver, Marc K. Jenkins

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

121 Scopus citations

Abstract

The migration of antigen-specific T cells to nonlymphoid tissues is thought to be important for the elimination of foreign antigens from the body. However, recent results showing the migration of activated T cells into many nonlymphoid tissues raised the possibility that antigen-specific T cells do not migrate preferentially to nonlymphoid tissues containing antigen. We addressed this question by tracking antigen-specific CD4 T cells in the whole body after a localized subcutaneous antigen injection. Antigen-specific CD4 T cells proliferated in the skin-draining lymph nodes and the cells that underwent the most cell divisions acquired the ability to bind to CD62P. As time passed, CD62P-binding antigen-specific CD4 T cells with interferon γ production potential accumulated preferentially at the site of antigen injection but only in recipients that expressed CD62E. Surprisingly, these T cells did not proliferate in the injection site despite showing evidence of more cell divisions than the T cells in the draining lymph nodes. The results suggest that the most divided effector CD4 T cells from the lymph nodes enter the site of antigen deposition via recognition of CD62E on blood vessels and are retained there in a nonproliferative state via recognition of peptide-major histocompatibility complex II molecules.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)751-762
Number of pages12
JournalJournal of Experimental Medicine
Volume197
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 17 2003

Keywords

  • Antigen-specific
  • CD4
  • Migration
  • Selectin
  • T cell

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