IL-6 acts on endothelial cells to preferentially increase their adherence for lymphocytes

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Abstract
Using a quantitative monolayer adhesion assay, the current report shows that treatment of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) with IL‐6 increases their adhesiveness for blood lymphocytes, particularly CD4+ cells, but not for polymorphonuclear cells and monocytes. This effect, which was most pronounced when using low concentrations of the cytokine (0.1–1.0 U/ml) and a short incubation period (4 h), was also apparent with microvascular endothelial cells and a hybrid endothelial cell line. Skin lesions from patients with mycosis fungoides contain high levels of IL‐6, and blood lymphocytes from patients with this disorder also exhibited an enhanced adhesion to IL‐6‐treated HUVEC. The cytokine enhanced intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 (ICAM‐1) expression and induced the expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule‐1 (VCAM‐1) and E‐selectin on endothelial cells. Antibody blocking studies demonstrated that the vascular adhesion molecules ICAM‐1, VCAM‐1 and E‐selectin and the leucocyte integrin LFA‐1 all contributed to lymphocyte binding to endothelium activated by IL‐6. It is proposed that IL‐6 may be involved in the recruitment of lymphocytes into non‐lymphoid tissue.

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