The significance of the cell surface for the homing affinity of injected lymphoid cells in mice.

51Cr-labelled lymph node cells were injected into syngeneic or non-syngeneic mice and their relative tissue distribution was compared under conditions where, for the reason of either timing or genetic combination, the host-versus-graft response could be neglected. The immigration of injected lymphoid cells to lymph nodes was markedly reduced when the recipients were non-syngeneic or when the level of glycosaminoglycans in their blood was artificially increased. In contrast, the homing affinity to the spleen was inhibited only for a relatively short period of time following stress. In the various tested situations in which the migration of cells to lymph nodes was inhibited, it seemed to be the relationship of the cell surfaces of the sessile and circulating cells which played an important role in the outcome of their interactions. This relationship may be influenced both by certain genetic differences and experimentally, for example, through adsorption.