Regulation of immune cell trafficking by febrile temperatures

Fever is a complex physiological response to pathogen infection and injury. One of the beneficial effects of febrile temperatures is stimulation of immune cell trafficking to the lymphoid organs and inflamed tissues, thereby enhancing immune surveillance during infection and inflammation. This trafficking process consists of a highly ordered adhesion cascade that includes tethering and rolling of immune cells along the vessel walls, chemokine-induced activation, firm arrest and diapedesis. In this review, we summarize the current findings of how febrile temperatures regulate the immune cell trafficking process. Febrile temperatures play multiple roles in the functional regulation of critical biomolecules involved in each step of the ordered adhesion cascade that includes L-selectin, chemokines, and α4 and β2 integrins. A better understanding of febrile temperature-induced regulation of immune cell trafficking will shed light on modulating the immunity to fight against infection and inflammation.