Relevance of endothelial junctions in leukocyte extravasation and vascular permeability

Inflammation and immune surveillance rely on the ability of leukocytes to leave the blood stream and enter tissue. Cytokines and chemokines regulate expression and the activation state of adhesion molecules that enable leukocytes to adhere and arrest at sites of leukocyte exit. Capturing and arrest is followed by the transmigration of leukocytes through the vessel wall—a process called diapedesis. The review will focus on recently published novel approaches to determine the route that leukocytes take in vivo when they migrate through the endothelial layer of blood vessels. This work has revealed the dominant importance of the junctional pathway between endothelial cells in vivo. In addition, recent progress has improved our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that regulate junctional stability, the opening of endothelial junctions during leukocyte extravasation, and the induction of vascular permeability.