title: The effect of cytokines on human neutrophil Fc receptor-mediated phagocytosis.
abstract: The recombinant (r) cytokines interferon-gamma (rIFN-gamma), granulocyte/macrophage-colony stimulating factor (rGM-CSF) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (rTNF-alpha) all activate neutrophils. The aim of this work was to determine the effect of these cytokines on neutrophil Fc-receptor (FcR)-mediated phagocytosis and membrane expression of FcR, particularly FcRII and FcRIII. A short treatment (greater than or equal to 15 min) of neutrophils with rGM-CSF and rTNF-alpha at concentrations greater than or equal to 62.5 U/ml significantly increased their ability to bind and phagocytize IgG-coated erythrocytes (EA). Both cytokines also showed more enhancing activity when suboptimally sensitized EA were used for binding and ingestion assays. A similar treatment of neutrophils with rIFN-gamma at doses up to 500 U/ml was ineffective. The effect of rGM-CSF and rTNF-alpha was blocked by a monoclonal anti-GM-CSF antibody and by a polyclonal anti-TNF-alpha antibody respectively, thus establishing that the cytokines were responsible for the activity of the recombinant preparations. The cytokine-induced enhancement of FcR-mediated phagocytosis did not correlate with an enhancement of FcRII membrane expression on treated neutrophils; rGM-CSF significantly increased FcRIII expression, but rTNF-alpha and rIFN-gamma were both ineffective in this respect. Since different roles of FcRII and FcRIII have been reported on ligand binding and ingestion, we also studied the effect of rGM-CSF and rTNF-alpha on the functional properties of these FcR, using specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). In the blocking experiments the pretreatment of neutrophils with rGM-CSF and rTNF-alpha did not modify the blocking properties of either anti-FcRII or anti-FcRIII mAbs, suggesting that cytokine-pretreatment does not affect the individual contribution of each type of FcR to ligand binding and internalization. Our data point to a new activity for both rGM-CSF and rTNF-alpha in augmenting FcR-mediated phagocytosis on neutrophils, but the mechanism of this enhancement remains to be elucidated.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Medicina Interna, University of Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Capsoni
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bonara
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Minonzio
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Ongari
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Colombo
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Rizzardi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zanussi
mesh_terms: D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000276:immunology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology; D007700:Kinetics; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000276:immunology*; D011961:Receptors, Fc / Q000276:immunology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D012397:Rosette Formation; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D011961:Receptors, Fc; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor