title: Neutrophil expression of cyclooxygenase 2 in preeclampsia.
abstract: The objective of this study was to determine whether (1) neutrophils of preeclamptic women express cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) and (2) COX-2 mediates neutrophil interleukin 8 (IL-8) production. Neutrophils were isolated from heparinized blood collected from women with preeclampsia and normal pregnancy and from normal nonpregnant women. Cyclooxygenase 2 protein was measured in the neutrophils of the 3 groups by specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). To study the role of COX-2 in IL-8 production, neutrophils of normal pregnant women were activated with arachidonic acid (AA) and incubated overnight in Medium 199 with and without NS398, a specific COX-2 inhibitor. We found that neutrophils from preeclamptic women expressed significantly more COX-2 than neutrophils from normal pregnant or normal nonpregnant women. Arachidonic acid activated neutrophils to produce IL-8, which was completely inhibited by NS398. These data demonstrate that COX-2 is expressed in neutrophils of preeclamptic women and that COX-2 mediates IL-8 production by activated neutrophils.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Physiology and Biophysics, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, Richmond, Virginia 23298, USA.
authors.forename: Teddi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bachawaty
authors.forename: Sonya L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Washington
authors.forename: Scott W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Walsh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D006801:Humans; D018375:Neutrophil Activation / Q000502:physiology; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000502:physiology; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000201:enzymology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2