Nonrandom migration of CD4+, CD8+, and gamma delta+T19+ lymphocyte subsets following in vivo stimulation with antigen.

We report here the results of experiments in which the migration of three T cell subsets (CD4+, CD8+, and gamma delta+T19+ cells) through antigen-stimulated lymph nodes and subcutaneous granulomas has been compared with that through normal skin and resting lymph nodes. The percentage of gamma delta+T19+ lymphocytes was halved and the percentage of CD8+ lymphocytes was doubled in lymph draining stimulated compared with control tissues, and all lymphocyte subsets except gamma delta+T19+ lymphocytes had higher hourly outputs in lymph draining antigen-stimulated compared with control tissues. Antigen also resulted in a higher percentage of CD8+ lymphoblasts and a lower percentage of gamma delta+T19+ lymphoblasts in efferent lymph draining antigen-stimulated lymph nodes. The data indicate that lymphocyte subsets leave the blood with differing efficiencies in different vascular beds and raise the possibility that antigen can influence the rate at which tissues extract individual T cell subsets from the blood.