The potential roles of vascular endothelium in immune reactions.

Cell-mediated immune reactions are initiated and regulated by antigen specific CD4+ helper T cells. However, T cells cannot function independently. In order for a CD4+ T cell to recognize antigen, it must be presented in association with a class II major histocompatibility complex molecule by another cell type and, in order to lead to functional T-cell activation, the antigen presenting cell must also provide costimulatory signals. Once activated, CD4+ T cells function in vivo by secreting cytokines that elicit an inflammatory infiltrate of other cell types that serves to eliminate the source of foreign antigen. In vivo, the development of inflammation requires vascular responses as well as contributions of blood-derived leukocytes. Although several cell types in vitro can present antigen, provide costimulation, and perform actions that contribute to inflammation, vascular endothelial cells may be uniquely important immune accessory cells because they are anatomically uniquely positioned to function in vivo during cell-mediated immune reactions. In this report, we shall review recent data from our laboratories which further characterize the immune accessory functions of endothelial cells.