Adhesion molecule expression does not influence the leukemic behavior of murine T-cell lymphomas.

Recirculation and homing properties of normal lymphocytes are controlled by interactions with high endothelial venules (HEVs), specialized vessels which mediate the extravasation into lymphoid tissues. The present study was aimed at elucidating whether lymphoma-derived leukemic cell spreading and peripheral lymph node invasion ability are mediated by the recognition mechanisms which physiologically regulate normal lymphocyte trafficking. For this purpose, we tested the HEV-binding ability and the expression of the lymphocyte homing receptor (LHR) for peripheral lymph nodes as well as Pgp-1/CD44, LFA-1 and ICAM-1 adhesion molecules by the highly leukemic cell line NQ22 in comparison with a series of non-leukemic murine T-lymphoma cell lines. Our results indicate that the hematogenous spreading as well as peripheral node invasion of lymphoma-derived leukemic cells may occur independently of LHR expression. In addition, our findings seem to rule out that gross quantitative modifications in LFA-1 or ICAM-1 antigen expression are associated with differential dissemination abilities of transformed lymphoid cells.