Homing of naive and memory T lymphocyte subsets to Peyer's patches, lymph nodes, and spleen.

Abstract

The specificity and efficiency of extravasation of subsets of memory and naive lymphocytes into organized lymphoid tissues has been the subject of recent controversy, but has not been directly assessed in physiologic systems. Here, we compare the lymphoid organ homing of naive and phenotypically defined memory T cells, focusing on memory subsets differentially expressing the integrin receptor alpha4beta7, which is implicated in homing to mucosal sites. Naive T cells (CD44(low), Thy1+) home to all secondary lymphoid organs. Alpha4beta7(high) memory-phenotype (CD44(high)) T cells home to Peyer's patches as efficiently as naive lymphocytes, whereas alpha4beta7- memory-phenotype T cells are essentially excluded from entry into these mucosal lymphoid organs. In contrast, alpha4beta7- memory-phenotype cells home approximately twice as efficiently as alpha4beta7(high) T cells to peripheral lymph nodes, but only approximately 20% as well as naive T cells. Interestingly, the spleen recruits all three identified subsets with nearly equal efficiency. The relative subset localization is similar 2.5 h after injection and after overnight trafficking, suggesting that memory cells can directly extravasate from blood into Peyer's Patches and lymph nodes. We conclude that subsets of memory T cells defined by patterns of homing receptor expression display differential homing to organized lymphoid tissues, an ability that may facilitate homeostatic interactions and target contributions to specialized regional immune responses.