Leukotaxis

Leukotaxis is a physical property of immune system cells that causes certain cells to enter or be pushed through openings of blood vessels of different sizes, types, and shapes. The process of movement of white blood cells in the bloodstream is one of the key elements of the immune response to the penetration of a foreign substance or pathogen. In this article we will review the origin and physiological significance of leukotaxis, as well as its clinical applications in medicine.

What is Leukotaxis? To explain this process, imagine a medical tissue sample under a microscope associated with several immune system cells of varying sizes. Small lymph cells called T lymphocytes migrate between large macrophages to mediate the immune response by releasing chemicals and producing cytokines that activate other cells of the immune system. This process is called T cell swarming. This creates a barrier that all medium-sized cells of the immune system (B cells) must overcome before they can contact the defective area of ​​tissue. This differential migration is used to provide local protective processes in tissues, for example, to combat pathogenic microorganisms. The important question, however, is how does this migration occur? This is where the leukotactic function of leukocytes comes into play. These cells are larger cells that can penetrate through holes of different sizes to the target, affecting the movement of all other white blood cells and immune tissue. Each type of white blood cell differs in structure and mechanism of migration through the hole, providing the necessary mechanism for the immune response.

How the leukotactic process works The mechanism of the leukotactic process is based on the spatial discrimination of interacting protein structures on the surface of leukocytes, capillaries and endothelial cells within blood vessels. On the inner wall of capillary blood vessels, endothelial cells determine the shape of the capillary and release various signals to the cells. When migrating lymphocytes interact with other cells on such proteins, a change in electrostatic interactions and molecular exchange can occur, causing them to enter the correct capillary lumen. If immunotherapy cells try to enter the wrong proximal or distal capillary, this often causes desmorphic changes in them and can lead to treatment failure.

Why leukotactic is important and useful in medicine Leukotactic processes in humans play an important role in the development of acute inflammatory diseases such as pneumonia and heart failure in systemic blood disease. Diagnosis of inflammatory diseases is based on the detection of leukotaxis indices