B lymphocyte binding to E- and P-selectins is mediated through the de novo expression of carbohydrates on in vitro and in vivo activated human B cells.

Cell adhesion to endothelium regulates the trafficking and recruitment of leukocytes towards lymphoid organs and sites of inflammation. This phenomenon is mediated by the expression of a number of adhesion molecules on both the endothelium and circulating cells. Activation of endothelial cells (EC) with different stimuli induces the expression of several adhesion molecules (E- and P-selectins, ICAM-1, VCAM-1), involved in their interaction with circulating cells. In this report, we have studied the binding of nonactivated and activated B cells to purified E- and P-selectins. Activated but not resting B cells were able to interact with both selectins. This binding capacity of activated B cells paralleled the induction of different carbohydrate epitopes (Lewisx, sialyl-Lewisx, CD57 and CDw65) as well as other molecules bearing these or related epitopes in myeloid cells (L-selectin, alpha L beta 2 and alpha X beta 2 integrins, and CD35) involved in the interaction of different cell types with selectins. B cells infiltrating inflamed tissues like in Hashimoto's thyroiditis, also expressed these selectin-binding carbohydrates in parallel with the expression of E-selectin by surrounding follicular dendritic cells. Moreover, the crosslinking of these selectin-binding epitopes resulted in an increased binding of B cells to different integrin ligands. Thus, in addition to the involvement of integrins, E- and P-selectins could play an important role in the interaction of B lymphocytes with the endothelium during B cell extravasation into lymphoid tissues and inflammatory foci as well as in their organization into lymphoid organs.