Vet. Res. 37 (2006) 325-338
DOI: 10.1051/vetres:2006004

Lymphocyte migration studies

Diane Bimczok and Hermann J. Rothkötter

Institute of Anatomy, Medical Faculty, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Leipziger Strasse 44, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany

(Received 13 June 2005; accepted 18 October 2005; published online 23 February 2006)

Abstract - For maintenance of immunity and tolerance, the organs and tissues of the organism are connected by migrating lymphoid cells. Understanding lymphocyte migration is essential for many disorders and diseases - especially in the mucosa-lined organs. Detailed analyses of migrating lymphocytes have been performed in many species, especially in laboratory animals. However, important experiments in lymphocyte migration have been carried out in large animals, for example sheep, cattle and pigs. These species allow experimental procedures like in situ-organ labelling, lymphocyte retransfusion studies or lymph vessel cannulations. Such studies have made an important contribution to the understanding of the overall principles of lymphocyte migration especially in the mucosal immune system. Major results on the specific migration of naïve and memory T cells through lymphoid organs, the re-distribution of / T cells in the intestinal immune system and the emigration of newly produced B cells from the ileal Peyer's patches have been obtained in large animals. Since there are growing numbers of markers for large animals, and molecular biology methods are available in these species, experiments in large animals will be an essential tool for the understanding of lymphocyte migration especially in mucosal organs.

Key words: lymphocyte recirculation / cell transfer / lymph cannulation / adhesion molecules / Peyer's patches

Corresponding author: Hermann J. Rothkötter hermann-josef.rothkoetter@medizin.uni-magdeburg.de

© INRA, EDP Sciences 2006