PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Guzman, J
AU  - Izumi, T
AU  - Nagai, S
AU  - Costabel, U
TI  - ICAM-1 and integrin expression on isolated human alveolar type II pneumocytes
AID  - 10.1183/09031936.94.07040736
DP  - 1994 Apr 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - 736--739
VI  - 7
IP  - 4
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/7/4/736.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/7/4/736.full
SO  - Eur Respir J1994 Apr 01; 7
AB  - Adhesion molecules are involved in the recruitment of leucocytes to sites of inflammation. In this study, we determined the expression of several adhesion molecules on isolated human alveolar type II pneumonocytes. Type II pneumocytes were isolated from 10 normal lung specimens, by enzymatic digestion with dispase, followed by metrizamide gradient centrifugation and panning on immunoglobulin G (IgG)-coated plastic dishes. With the freshly isolated type II cells, immunostaining was performed using a sensitive immunoperoxidase slide technique. In all cases, 60-90% of type II cells were positive for intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) (CD54). A minor portion of type II cells expressed the alpha 4 (CD49d) subunit of the beta 1-integrins, and the alpha-v (CD51) subunit of the vitronectin receptor. CD11a, CD11b, CD11c, CD18, CD49b, and CD49f failed to demonstrate any immunostaining with type II cells. In conclusion, the observation of the expression of ICAM-1 and, to a lesser degree, of some integrin subunits, may indicate that alveolar type II cells participate in local immune and inflammatory responses.