Anti-high endothelial venule monoclonal antibody HECA-452 recognizes plasmacytoid T cells and delineates an "extranodular" compartment in the reactive lymph node.

So-called plasmacytoid T cells represent a subset of monocyte related cells, which share with endothelium the CD36+ CD11b- (OKM5+ OKM1-) phenotype. The reactivity of plasmacytoid T cells with rat monoclonal antibody HECA-452, highly specific for high endothelial venules, was analyzed in reactive lymph nodes. In all cases, HECA-452 not only labelled the endothelium of high endothelial venules, but also strongly reacted with singular and clustered plasmacytoid T cells. The HECA-452 positivity for high endothelial venules and plasmacytoid T cells visualized a lymph node compartment extending from the subcapsular sinus to the corticomedullary junction. This compartment surrounded the composite nodule and was designated the "extranodular" compartment. The co-occurrence of plasmacytoid T cells and high endothelial venules in this extranodular compartment, together with their immunophenotypical similarities, may be indicative of functional co-operations.