The migration of circulating leukocytes to sites of inflammation or antigen is based, at least in part, on the activities of adhesion molecules. In the context of organ transplantation, some of these have been shown to be upregulated during acute allograft rejection. As their role during chronic rejection has not been examined, we have used an established rat model to compare sequentially the presence of host cells within the grafts, as defined immunohistologically, with patterns of in vitro leukocyte binding and their dependence upon particular adhesion molecules. Various donor populations of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL), lymph node lymphocytes (LNL), and splenic monocytes were interacted with snap-frozen sections of allografted, isografted, and native kidneys at serial intervals up to 24 weeks after transplantation. Monocyte binding in the allografts rose at 8 weeks and peaked at 12 weeks, a period preceding the maximum numbers of macrophages noted immunohistologically in the chronically rejecting grafts at 16 weeks. Lymphocyte binding and infiltration patterns were similar, remaining stable throughout the follow-up period and consistently greater than those noted in isografts. In vitro binding of the monocytes was inhibited by mAbs against ICAM-1, LFA-1, CD18, and MAC-1; MAC-1 did not influence lymphocyte binding, although the other mAbs were effective. We conclude that adhesion molecules are responsible, at least in part, for patterns of cell populations infiltrating chronically rejecting renal allografts.