title: Human peripheral blood eosinophils produce and release interleukin-8 on stimulation with calcium ionophore.
abstract: We present evidence that human blood eosinophils produce interleukin (IL)-8 when stimulated with calcium ionophore. Following in vitro culture of 99% pure eosinophils with calcium ionophore, released IL-8 was detectable by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in supernatants. Eosinophil IL-8 production was considerably greater than that of IL-3 or granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor. Furthermore, eosinophil production of IL-8 in the presence of calcium ionophore could be inhibited with the immunomodulating agent cyclosporin A and the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide. In addition, following stimulation of highly purified blood eosinophils with calcium ionophore, IL-8 mRNA was detectable after polymerase chain reaction amplification. In comparison with other cells on stimulation with calcium ionophore, eosinophils produce about half as much IL-8 as neutrophils but significantly more than purified T cells. In contrast to monocytes and neutrophils, IL-8 production was not inducible with IL-1 or tumor necrosis factor. Finally, following calcium ionophore stimulation blood eosinophils were shown to contain cytoplasmic IL-8 by employing a monoclonal antibody against IL-8 in conjunction with immunohistochemistry. These observations demonstrate that eosinophils are capable of IL-8 production and release, which may contribute to defense against parasites and to the pathophysiology of allergic and asthmatic disease.
authors.affiliation: Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), Davos.
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Braun
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Franchini
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Erard
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rihs
authors.forename: I J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: De Vries
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Blaser
authors.forename: T T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Hansel
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Walker
mesh_terms: D000001:Calcimycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D015870:Gene Expression; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007377:Interleukin-3 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007377:Interleukin-3; D016209:Interleukin-8; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000001:Calcimycin; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; D002118:Calcium