Immuno-electron microscopic analysis of the distribution of ICAM-1 in human inflammatory tissue.

An immuno-electron microscopic analysis was undertaken to determine ICAM-1 expression on vascular endothelium in human tonsils and in synovia from patients with rheumatoid arthritis. ICAM-1 was preferentially expressed on high endothelial venules (HEV) located in the parafollicular regions of the tonsils and HEV located in the villous processes of the synovia. On both tissues, these areas contained the greatest number of perivascular lymphocytes. In contrast, ICAM-1 was only weakly expressed on the low endothelium lining capillaries, venules and sinusoids. In both tonsils and synovia, ICAM-1 was confined to the luminal and lateral surfaces of the endothelial cells and absent from the abluminal surfaces adjacent to the basement membrane. We propose that in inflammatory tissues, ICAM-1 mediates the interaction of circulating lymphocytes with the high endothelial cells, but may not have a major role in promoting their migration through the whole thickness of the blood vessel wall.