Expression of Cell Adhesion Molecules in the Fetal Gut

Abstract

The cell adhesion molecules ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 when expressed on endothelium are thought to be important in modulating lymphocyte movement in areas of inflammation through their ligands LFA-1 and VLA-4 on lymphocytes. They are also expressed by accessory cells and provide costimulatory signals for T cell activation.¹ ELAM-1 is a cell adhesion molecule expressed by the endothelium at sites of acute inflammation and is significant in neutrophil migration to the site of injury.^2,3 Cytokines like IL1, IFN-γ and TNFα upregulate or induce expression of these molecules.^1,2 In intestinal inflammation such as Crohn’s disease or coeliac disease expression is increased on endothelium and accessory cells within the lymphoid tissues.^4,5 In this study we examined the expression of ICAM-1, VCAM and ELAM-1 in human fetal intestine from 11 to 22 weeks old fetuses. We also studied used an organ culture model of intestinal inflammation⁶ to study the time course of adhesion molecule expression in an invitro fetal gut organ culture model.