Migration of Lymphoid Cells from Vaginal Epithelium to Iliac Lymph Nodes in Relation to Vaginal Infection by Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2

Abstract

To determine whether lymphocytes and Langerhans cells in vaginal epithelium are migratory, we stained mouse vaginal epithelium, including its lymphoid cells, by intraluminal administration of H33342, a fluorescent, vital dye. Stromal staining was superficial, and no free dye reached the iliac lymph nodes. The numbers and phenotypes of H33342-stained cells that migrated from the vagina to the iliac lymph nodes during the next 48 h were determined in four groups: normal mice, mice infected intravaginally with wild-type herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), mice that were immune to vaginal HSV-2 infection, and immune mice that received vaginal challenge with HSV-2. H33342-stained cells migrated from the vaginal epithelium to the iliac lymph nodes in all groups and were mainly Thy-1.2+ cells and B220+ cells. The number of migrating Thy-1.2+ cells was similar to the sum of CD4+ and CD8+ cells in all groups and was not significantly different from the number of CD44+ cells, suggesting that most of the migrating T cells were memory cells. B lymphocytes comprised 31, 32, 43, and 68% of the migrating cells in the four groups, respectively. We found no evidence that Langerhans cells or macrophages were migrating. Thus, most MHC class II+ cells in all groups were accounted for by B cells, and migrating cells did not express B7.1 or F4/80 or exhibit indented nuclei or dendritic processes. We suggest that the migrating T cells and B cells probably belonged to a pool of lymphocytes that recirculates from blood to tissues and back to the lymph nodes via their afferent lymphatics.