title: Smoking causes a dose-dependent increase in granulocyte-bound L-selectin.
abstract: The mechanism by which cigarette smoking promotes atherosclerosis remains unclear but may involve the endothelium and leukocytes. We postulated a direct acute effect of cigarette smoking on the endothelium and granulocytes by measuring granulocyte expression of L-selectin (flow cytometry) and serum L- and E-selectin (ELISA) before and after smoking in 12 smokers with peripheral vascular disease (claudicants) and 12 otherwise healthy controls. Mean (S.D.) granulocyte L-selectin, expressed as mean fluorescence intensity (MFI), increased in a dose-dependent fashion from 3.58+/-0.67 and 3.27+/-0.67 in controls and claudicants, respectively, to 3.77+/-0.75 and 3.49+/-0.79 10 min after smoking two cigarettes (p<0.002), and to 4.11+/-0.95 and 3.67+/-0.88 30 min after four cigarettes (p<0.001). Serum L-selectin was lower in claudicants at all time points throughout the study period compared with controls (p<0.005) but neither serum E- nor L-selectin levels changed following smoking. Smoking led to an increase in granulocyte expression of L-selectin, which may be important in granulocyte/endothelial adhesion and thus related to atherosclerosis. The lower serum L-selectin levels in claudicants, and the absence of a rise in serum adhesion molecules on smoking, suggests consumption by activated endothelial receptors that may be part of a negative feedback mechanism.
authors.affiliation: Academic Surgery Unit, South Manchester University Hospital, Southmoor Road, Wythenshawe, M23 9LT, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: Shalini
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Patiar
authors.forename: Dominic
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Slade
authors.forename: Ursula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kirkpatrick
authors.forename: Charles N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: McCollum
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D019040:E-Selectin / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007383:Intermittent Claudication / Q000097:blood; D019041:L-Selectin / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000166:cytology; D010976:Platelet Count; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D019040:E-Selectin; D019041:L-Selectin