title: TNF-alpha renders human neutrophils responsive to platelet factor 4. Comparison of PF-4 and IL-8 reveals different activity profiles of the two chemokines.
abstract: Platelet factor 4 (PF-4), like IL-8, is a member of the chemokine superfamily of proinflammatory cytokines. However, although the capacity of IL-8 to stimulate functions in neutrophils is well established, reports on PF-4 are still contradictory. In the present study, we have prepared highly purified PF-4 and examined its ability to induce chemotaxis, degranulation, adhesion to gelatin and plasma proteins, and changes in intracellular calcium levels. Even over a broad range of concentrations, PF-4 alone was unable to induce functional changes in PMN. However, neutrophils pre- or co-incubated with physiologically relevant concentrations of TNF-alpha responded to PF-4 by the selective mobilization of the secondary granule marker lactoferrin but not of the primary granule marker elastase. Contrary to IL-8, PMN did not require pretreatment with cytochalasin B for PF-4-induced exocytosis of lactoferrin. The synergistic effect of PF-4 with TNF-alpha was not a priming phenomenon because the cooperative response remained unchanged even when TNF-alpha was added 5 min after the chemokine. In contrast, TNF-alpha-treated PMN did not respond to PF-4 by chemotaxis or by an increase of intracellular calcium levels, and no competition of PF-4 for IL-8 receptors was observed. Our results suggest a mechanism as well as a biologic role of PF-4 in the regulation of neutrophil function, which is different from that of IL-8 and other alpha-chemokines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, Research Institute, Borstel,Germany.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ludwig
authors.forename: H D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Flad
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brandt
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers; D003571:Cytochalasin B / Q000494:pharmacology; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules / Q000187:drug effects; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005089:Exocytosis / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018375:Neutrophil Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D010978:Platelet Factor 4 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D016209:Interleukin-8; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D010978:Platelet Factor 4; D003571:Cytochalasin B