We studied the adhesion of human peripheral blood T lymphocytes to human synovial fibroblasts stimulated with interferon-gamma (IFN gamma), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), or combinations of these cytokines. T lymphocytes bound poorly to untreated human synovial fibroblasts. IFN gamma treatment resulted in the largest increase in adhesion, followed by TNF alpha and IL-1 beta. Combinations of IFN gamma + TNF alpha and IFN gamma + IL-1 beta had a synergistic effect on intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) expression and adhesion. The increase in cellular adhesion induced by cytokines correlated with the up-regulation of the number of cells expressing ICAM-1 and the density of antigen/cell. There was no synergistic effect on leukocyte function-associated antigen 3 (LFA-3) or on HLA class I or class II antigen expression. Adhesion was only partially inhibited by anti-ICAM-1, anti-LFA-1, or anti-CD18. These findings suggest the existence of ICAM-1--independent and CD11/CD18-independent adhesion mechanisms. Anti-LFA-3 was completely ineffective as an inhibitor of adhesion. There was no additive or synergistic advantage of using combinations of antibodies to increase the level of inhibition, i.e., anti--ICAM-1 + anti-LFA-3, anti-ICAM-1 + anti-CD18, or anti-ICAM-1 + anti-LFA-1 (CD11a). Our data indicate that proinflammatory cytokines may play a prominent role in the formation and exacerbation of synovial hyperplasia, by regulating the recruitment and retention of T lymphocytes via the up-regulation of adhesion molecules on synovial fibroblasts.