Recirculation of mouse lymphocytes to the gut involves binding of the lymphocyte integrin alpha 4 beta 7 to the mucosal vascular addressin, MAdCAM-1. In humans, indirect evidence suggests that CD4+ T cells that express high levels of alpha 4 beta 7 migrate selectively to the gut. We now report that human adult blood CD8+ T cells and B cells, like CD4+ T cells, have heterogeneous expression of alpha 4 beta 7. In contrast, NK cells, eosinophils, and newborn blood T and B cells have relatively homogeneous expression of alpha 4 beta 7. CD4+ and CD8+ T cell expression of alpha 4 beta 7 was related to age, CD45RA expression, and integrin beta 1 (CD29) expression, suggesting that alpha 4 beta 7 expression changes after primary activation of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in vivo. To directly determine whether human alpha 4 beta 7 mediates adhesion to MAdCAM-1, we performed in vitro adhesion assays with two alpha 4 beta 7+ human lymphoma cell lines. The results indicate that human alpha 4 beta 7 is a receptor for MAdCAM-1, whereas alpha 4 beta 1 is not. Adhesion of HUT 78 cells to MAdCAM-1 required Mn2+, whereas adhesion of RPMI 8866 cells did not, suggesting that alpha 4 beta 7 may have at least two distinct functional states. The ability of lymphocytes to bind to MAdCAM-1 and recirculate to mucosal organs is likely to be influenced both by the level of alpha 4 beta 7 expression and by the functional state of the alpha 4 beta 7 molecule.