Adhesion molecules on human tonsil dendritic cells.

Dendritic cells are specialist antigen-presenting cells that have a unique ability to stimulate a primary T cell response. Activation of T cells by DC depends on the formation of cell clusters creating DC-T cell membrane contact that probably involves adhesion molecules. Monoclonal antibodies were used to study adhesion molecules on DC, including members of the integrin and immunoglobulin supergene families. DC expressed LFA-1, ICAM-1, LFA-3, and the Hermes antigen, but no other integrin or immunoglobulin supergene family adhesion molecules were detected using a sensitive immunoperoxidase staining technique. Monoclonal antibodies to LFA-1 alpha and LFA-1 beta inhibited DC-stimulated allogeneic T cell (MLR) responses by 75 +/- 12% and 74 +/- 8%, respectively, as did the anti-LFA-3 (56 +/- 3% inhibition) and anti-LFA-2 (60 +/- 5% inhibition) antibodies. Three different anti-ICAM-1 antibodies inhibited only to a limited degree (mean range 8-24%). The inhibitory effect of the LFA-1 and LFA-3 antibodies was maximal if added early to the MLR. The inhibitory effect of the different antibodies was associated with variable decreases in DC-T cell cluster stability. The simultaneous addition of monoclonal antibodies to MLRs and preincubation washing experiments established that DC have at least 3 independent adhesion ligand interactions (LFA-1-ICAM-1, ICAM-1-LFA-1, and LFA-3-CD2) with T cells. It seems likely that the additional ligand for LFA-1, ICAM-2, is expressed on DC and contributes significantly to DC-T cell adherence and T cell activation. The membrane mobility of these molecules may also be important in the DC-T cell activation process.