Leukocyte integrin activation.

Certain stages of the immune response require interaction of leukocytes with each other and with non-hematopoietic cells. One of the systems implicated in these interactions involves an integrin, LFA-1 (Lymphocyte Function Antigen-1), expressed by all leukocytes at their cell surface, and a molecule belonging to the immunoglobulin superfamily, ICAM-1 (Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1). The avidity of LFA-1 for ICAM-1 is transient. It is modulated both by regulation of ICAM-1 expression and by activation of LFA-1 molecules constitutively expressed on leukocyte membranes. This activation, which induces a conformational change in the molecule, depends on the presence of divalent cations, notably Mg++. This has been demonstrated by using a specific monoclonal antibody, MAb 24. In addition to being a ligand for LFA-1, ICAM-1 is sometimes used as a cell receptor by pathogens such as Plasmodium falciparum, the causative organism of malaria. Very careful study of the binding site of this pathogen using specific antibodies, mutagenesis studies and the construction of a three-dimensional model of the molecule suggests some interesting therapeutic possibilities for the treatment of malaria.