Involvement of beta 2-integrins in the migration of human natural killer cells.

Human large granular lymphocytes with the NK cell phenotype (CD16+ or CD56+CD3-) were greatly enriched among the cells which migrated spontaneously through untreated or albumin-coated, 3-microns pore size polycarbonate filters for 1 to 8 h. Three days of rIL-2 treatment (300 IU/ml) and 3 to 5 wk of rIL-2 treatment (100 IU/ml) generated a 2.7 +/- 0.9-fold and 5.6 +/- 0.8-fold increase in cell migration, respectively. The adhesion and subsequent migration of freshly isolated NK cells was mainly mediated by CD11b/CD18, because migration could be inhibited by 80 +/- 8% anti-CD11b (Mac-1) antibodies but not with antibodies against CD11a (LFA-1) or CD11c (p150,95), the other alpha-chains of the beta 2-integrins. After rIL-2 activation, however, CD11a/CD18 was the major receptor utilized in migration, inasmuch as anti-CD11a antibody caused a 69 +/- 8% reduction in the number of migrated cells. Anti-CD11b antibody decreased migration by 43 +/- 12%, and together these antibodies inhibited migration by 82 +/- 7%. Anti-CD11a alone did not have any effect on adhesion, but CD11a/CD18 cooperated in the adhesion because anti-CD11b decreased adhesion by 40 +/- 11% and together these antibodies inhibited adhesion by 74 +/- 6%. The ability of large granular lymphocytes to rapidly utilize beta 2-integrins and unidentified ubiquitous ligands for binding and migration may be significant for their capacity to function in the first line of immune defense under highly variable conditions.