Heterogeneous expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha receptors I and II on human peripheral eosinophils.
BACKGROUND
Expression of the tumor necrosis factor-alpha receptor by human eosinophils has not been determined. We examined the surface expression and mRNA for tumor necrosis factor-alpha receptors I and II (TNF-alphaRI and TNF-alphaRII) on peripheral eosinophils.


METHODS
Eosinophils were obtained from 17 asthma patients and 3 healthy volunteers. Flow cytometry was used to examine receptor expression, and the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction was used to examine receptor mRNA expression.


RESULTS
Flow cytometry revealed that 16 out of 20 subjects had eosinophils expressing TNF-alphaRI and 18 subjects had eosinophils expressing TNF-alphaRII. All eosinophils expressed at least one receptor. The mRNA for TNF-alphaRII was detected in all eosinophils examined, but the signals for TNF-alphaRI mRNA were only found in cells expressing this receptor.


CONCLUSIONS
Human peripheral eosinophils show heterogeneous expression of TNF-alphaRI and TNF-alphaRII.
Matsuyama
G
G
Department of Pediatrics, Toho University School of Medicine, Sakura Hospital, Sakura, Japan.
Ochiai
K
K
Ishihara
C
C
Kagami
M
M
Tomioka
H
H
Koya
N
N
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
D017931:DNA Primers; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha