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PubMed2001

Human eosinophils induce mucin production in airway epithelial cells via epidermal growth factor receptor activation.

Eosinophil recruitment and mucus hypersecretion are characteristic of asthmatic airway inflammation, but eosinophils have not been shown to induce mucin production. Because an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) cascade induces MUC5AC mucin in airways, and because EGFR is up-regulated in asthmatic airways, we examined the effect of eosinophils on MUC5AC mucin production in NCI-H292 cells (a human airway epithelial cell line that produces mucins). Eosinophils were isolated from the peripheral blood of allergic patients, and their effects on MUC5AC mucin gene and protein synthesis were assessed using in situ hybridization and ELISAs. When IL-3 plus GM-CSF or IL-3 plus IL-5 were added to eosinophils cultured with NCI-H292 cells, MUC5AC mucin production increased; eosinophils or cytokines alone had no effect. Eosinophil supernatant obtained by culturing eosinophils with IL-3 plus GM-CSF or IL-3 plus IL-5 also increased MUC5AC synthesis in NCI-H292 cells, an effect that was prevented by selective EGFR inhibitors (AG1478, BIBX1522). Supernatant of activated eosinophils induced EGFR phosphorylation in NCI-H292 cells. Supernatant of activated eosinophils contained increased concentrations of TGF-alpha protein (an EGFR ligand) and induced up-regulation of TGF-alpha expression and release in NCI-H292 cells. A blocking Ab to TGF-alpha reduced activated eosinophil-induced MUC5AC synthesis in NCI-H292 cells. These results show that activated eosinophils induce mucin synthesis in human airway epithelial cells via EGFR activation, and they implicate TGF-alpha produced by eosinophils and epithelial cells in the EGFR activation that results in mucin production in human airway epithelium.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Increased expression and activation of CD30 induce apoptosis in human blood eosinophils.

Eosinophils are one of the major effector cells in asthma, and controlling the number and survival of eosinophils might attenuate the severity of asthma. This result could be achieved by inducing eosinophil apoptosis. Apoptosis allows the removal of cells without inducing an inflammatory response. Our knowledge of the factors involved in regulating eosinophil apoptosis remains limited. CD30 molecule has been associated with T cell-negative selection and in TCR-mediated apoptosis. In this study we examined the expression and role of CD30 in apoptosis of human blood eosinophils. Percentage of apoptotic eosinophils was determined by annexin V-propidium iodide labeling, and CD30 expression was examined by flow cytometry. Spontaneous apoptosis was induced by serum deprivation, and survival was conferred by incubating cells with 10% FBS and IL-5. CD30 surface expression was up-regulated in eosinophils incubated for 24 h as compared with freshly isolated eosinophils, and both CD30 expression and eosinophil apoptosis increased in a time-dependent manner. We also measured CD30 mRNA expression by quantitative real-time RT-PCR and determined that CD30 transcripts increased in eosinophils undergoing apoptosis only under serum deprivation conditions. The agonistic CD30 Abs, Ber-H8 and HeFi-1, significantly enhanced eosinophil apoptosis. FBS and IL-5 failed to inhibit or suppress the CD30 agonistic-induced apoptosis. These data support the role of CD30 activation in eosinophil apoptosis. This research will help in furthering our understanding of eosinophil apoptosis and therefore might contribute to the development of better therapeutic modalities in the treatment and/or cure of allergic inflammation in bronchial asthma.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Detection of activated eosinophils in nasal polyps of an aspirin-induced asthma patient.

Aspirin-induced asthma (AIA) is frequently accompanied by nasal polyps. Eosinophil infiltration is a characteristic feature of nasal polyps associated with AIA. Even though steroids are well known to be effective on managing AIA and its nasal polyps, histochemical examinations after steroid therapy and at recurrence, involving eosinophil infiltration of nasal polyps, have been less studied. To know the histochemical effects of steroid treatment on eosinophil accumulation in nasal polyps of AIA and the histochemical feature of a recurring polyp and to detect distributional differences between storage and secreted forms of eosinophil cationic proteins, we carried out immunocytochemical labelling with antibodies against EGI (recognizing resting and activated eosinophils) and EG2 (recognizing only activated eosinophils), and determined eosinophil infiltration in nasal polyps that were obtained before and after steroid treatment, and at recurrence of polyps. A large number of eosinophils in AIA polyps were found before steroid treatment and at recurrence, and they were predominantly composed of activated eosinophils (EG2-positive). In contrast, eosinophil infiltration was rare in polyps obtained immediately after steroid treatment. This finding suggests that eosinophil infiltration may be associated with nasal polyp formation in AIA, and that activation of eosinophils plays an important role in accumulation of eosinophils and polyp formation beginning with the initial stage.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗

PubMed1999

Characterization of eosinophil adhesion to TNF-alpha-activated endothelium under flow conditions: alpha 4 integrins mediate initial attachment, and E-selectin mediates rolling.

The multistep model of leukocyte adhesion reveals that selectins mediate rolling interactions and that integrins mediate firm adhesion processes. In this study, the interaction between eosinophils and TNF-alpha-activated HUVEC (second or third passage) was studied under flow conditions (0.8 and 3.2 dynes/cm2). Especially the role of alpha 4 integrins on eosinophils and E-selectin on HUVEC was studied. Inhibition of the integrin alpha 4 chain on eosinophils reduced the number of firmly adhered resting eosinophils to TNF-alpha-stimulated endothelium by 43% whereas the percentage rolling cells increased 2.2-fold compared with untreated control eosinophils. Blocking of E-selectin on the endothelium reduced the number of adherent eosinophils by only 23% and 16%. In this situation, however, hardly any rolling adhesion was observed, and the few rolling cells showed a low rolling velocity. Blocking both alpha 4 integrin on eosinophils and E-selectin on HUVEC reduced the number of adhered eosinophils by 95%. P-selectin did not significantly participate in eosinophil adhesion to TNF-alpha-activated HUVEC. Inhibition of both alpha 4 integrins and beta 2 integrins on eosinophils resulted in a reduction of adhered cells by 65% and a 3-fold increase in percentage rolling cells. Taken together, these results clearly show that resting eosinophils preferentially use constitutively active alpha 4 integrins (alpha 4 beta 1, alpha 4 beta 7) for the first attachment to TNF-alpha-activated HUVEC. In addition, alpha 4 integrins and E-selectin work synergistically in eosinophil adherence to TNF-alpha-activated HUVEC. Although E-selectin is important for eosinophil rolling under these conditions, P-selectin plays only a minor role.

Antigens, CD↗

PubMed2001

[Antigen presentation of eosinophils in mice].

OBJECTIVE: To explore whether or not eosinophils can present antigen to T lymphocytes in vivo, and to further elucidate the process and characteristics of antigen-presentation by eosinophils in vivo. METHODS: BALB/c mice were sensitized and challenged by ovalbumin to recruit eosinophil infiltration into the airways. The airway eosinophils were purified and were labeled with a fluorescent dye. The labeled eosinophils were instilled into the mouse tracheas, fluorescent microscope was used to observe the migration of endobronchial eosinophils in vivo. Single cell suspension was prepared from paratracheal lymph nodes of mice receiving antigen-exposed eosinophil instillation, and flow cytometry was used to determine proliferation response of T cells and to identify the subset of responding T cells. RESULTS: By 8 h after tracheal instillation, labeled eosinophils were visible in the subcapsular region and streaming through the subcapsular sinus (19.0 +/- 1.8/mm(2)). With increasing time, the numbers of eosinophils entering the regional lymph nodes increased, peaking at 24 h (59.2 +/- 7.2/mm(2)) and persisting for at least 120 h (29.6 +/- 2.8/mm(2)). In sensitized mice that received 5 x 10(5) antigen-exposed eosinophils, in vivo percentage of proliferating T cell in the paratracheal lymph nodes 1 d after eosinophil instillation (6.9% +/- 0.5%) were much higher than basic control value (3.2% +/- 0.3%, P < 0.01), peaked at day 3 (10.8% +/- 0.8%, P < 0.01), and then declined over 7 d (6.1% +/- 0.6%, P < 0.05). Eosinophil-induced in vivo T cell proliferation was antigen-specific, and the responding T cells were limited to CD4(+) cells. CONCLUSIONS: Eosinophils within the lumina of airways can process inhaled antigens, traffick to regional lymph nodes and function in vivo as antigen-presenting cells to stimulate responses of CD4(+) T cells.

Animals↗

PubMed1991

Activation of guinea pig eosinophils by human recombinant IL-5. Selective priming to platelet-activating factor-acether and interference of its antagonists.

The potential role of platelet-activating factor (PAF)-acether and of IL-5 as an eosinophil-proliferating, activating, and/or recruiting mediator in asthma led us to study the effects of human (h) rIL-5 (hrIL-5) and PAF-acether, alone or combined, on isolated guinea pig eosinophils. Two populations of eosinophils were separated from peritoneal lavages of polymyxin B-treated guinea pigs upon a discontinuous metrizamide gradient: one of low density (between 20 and 22% of metrizamide, purity: 63 +/- 3%, n = 27) and another of normal density (between 22 and 24% of metrizamide, purity: 87 +/- 2%, n = 16). Chemotactic activity was evaluated on a micro-Boyden chamber, results being expressed as the number of migrating eosinophils (mean +/- SEM) at 40 microns through a cellulose nitrate filter (3 microns pore size) in the presence of the agonist or of the solvent alone. hrIL-5 dose-dependently stimulated normodense eosinophil chemotaxis, reaching a peak at 500 ng/ml (98 +/- 21 migrating eosinophils, n = 5, p less than 0.05). These eosinophils also responded to PAF-acether and to LTB4 and not to FMLP, hrTNF alpha, and LPS. Eosinophil preincubation with hrIL-5 increased significantly the migration by PAF-acether (173 +/- 23 migrating eosinophils with PAF-acether 10 nM after preincubation with hrIL-5 500 ng/ml vs 69 +/- 10 after preincubation with buffer alone, p less than 0.01) and failed to enhance migration by LTB4 or to uncover an activity for FMLP. Migration by PAF-acether was antagonized when the cells were preincubated with the antagonists BN 52021 and WEB 2086, which also inhibited migration by hrIL-5. Eosinophils were auto-desensitized by and to PAF-acether or LTB4, but were not cross-desensitized to each other. Eosinophils desensitized to PAF-acether failed to migrate with hrIL-5, but those desensitized to LTB4 responded to hrIL-5 as controls. hrIL-5 failed to induce the elevation of intracellular free calcium concentration and superoxide anion generation from basal values, whereas preincubation of eosinophils with hrIL-5 induced a significant increase in the rise in intracellular free calcium concentration and in superoxide anion generation by 10 nM PAF-acether but not by LTB4. In conclusion, the in vivo eosinophil migration in allergy may involve hrIL-5, particularly associated to PAF-acether.

Animals↗

PubMed1991

Glucocorticoids inhibit cytokine-mediated eosinophil survival.

Glucocorticoids characteristically induce eosinopenia in vivo and are effective for treating allergic and other eosinophilic disorders. We studied the effect of glucocorticoids on cytokine-induced survival of human eosinophils in vitro. Eosinophils were purified from normal or mildly atopic volunteers by Percoll density gradient and incubated for 4 days in the presence of cytokine plus steroid. Cell viabilities were determined by staining cells with fluorescein diacetate and propidium iodide. In the absence of glucocorticoids, human rIL-5 enhanced eosinophil survival in a dose-dependent manner, from 22 fM for a minimal effect to 2200 fM for maximal effect. When eosinophils were cultured with a submaximal concentration of rIL-5 (220 fM), dexamethasone, methylprednisolone, and hydrocortisone inhibited eosinophil survival in a dose-dependent manner. Inhibition was time-dependent and required at least 2 days' exposure of eosinophils to dexamethasone. Dexamethasone, methylprednisolone, and hydrocortisone at 1000 nM inhibited survival by 88 +/- 2, 66 +/- 9 and 37 +/- 7%. In contrast, estradiol and testosterone (1000 nM) had no effect on eosinophil survival. When eosinophils were incubated with varying concentrations of human rIL-5 and 1000 nM dexamethasone, survival inhibition was reduced at higher concentrations of human rIL-5, and completely abolished by human rIL-5 23,000 fM. Human recombinant granulocyte-macrophage CSF, human rIL-3, and human rIFN-gamma also enhanced eosinophil survival in a dose-dependent manner and dexamethasone (1000 nM) strongly inhibited cell survival when submaximal concentrations of these cytokines were used. The effects of dexamethasone were reversed by higher concentrations of granulocyte-macrophage CSF (10 U/ml) and IL-3 (3 ng/ml). However, even 1000 U/ml IFN-gamma did not overcome dexamethasone inhibition, indicating a difference between the mechanism of eosinophil survival induced by IFN-gamma and other cytokines. These results suggest that glucocorticoids exert a direct, inhibitory effect on eosinophil survival, which may be important in the treatment of allergic and other eosinophilic disorders. Antagonism of this effect by higher amounts of cytokine may be a mechanism for glucocorticoid resistance.

Cell Survival↗

PubMed1989

IL-5-dependent conversion of normodense human eosinophils to the hypodense phenotype uses 3T3 fibroblasts for enhanced viability, accelerated hypodensity, and sustained antibody-dependent cytotoxicity.

Human peripheral blood-derived eosinophils were assessed for their viability, density, and functional properties after 7 days of culture with purified mouse IL-5 and mouse 3T3 fibroblasts. Whereas none of the eosinophils remained viable after 7 days of culture in the absence of IL-5, 38 +/- 12% and 61 +/- 14% (n = 6, mean +/- SD) of the eosinophils survived in the presence of 1 pM IL-5 alone or 1 pM IL-5 in the presence of 3T3 fibroblasts, respectively (p less than 0.05). Direct contact between the fibroblasts and the eosinophils was not needed for this enhanced IL-5-dependent viability. After 7 days, 66 +/- 7% (n = 6) of the cocultured eosinophils were viable when the two cell types were separated by a 0.4-microns filter. As assessed by density-gradient centrifugation after 7 days of IL-5 exposure, all of the original normodense eosinophils became hypodense. The time course of this conversion was accelerated by the presence of 3T3 fibroblasts. Enhanced helminthic cytotoxicity was maintained by the 7-day cultured eosinophils only if they had been cocultured with fibroblasts. Eosinophils killed 10 +/- 11% (n = 5), 48 +/- 17%, and 31 +/- 15% of the larvae when they were cultured for 7 days in IL-5 alone, in IL-5 in direct contact with 3T3 fibroblasts, or in IL-5 with filter separation of the fibroblasts and the eosinophils, respectively. The ability of IL-5 to induce progenitor cells to differentiate selectively into eosinophils, and of 3T3 fibroblasts to facilitate the IL-5-mediated conversion of normodense eosinophils to hypodense eosinophils with increased viability and antibody-dependent cytotoxicity suggests a role for both hematopoietic and tissue factors in determining the presence and pathobiologic function of activated hypodense eosinophils in patients with hypereosinophilic conditions.

Animals↗

PubMed1989

IgA-induced eosinophil degranulation.

Eosinophils play an important role as effector cells in allergic, parasitic, and other conditions. The mechanism(s) by which eosinophils mediate their effector functions was studied by incubation of human normodense eosinophils with Sepharose beads coupled to various Ig isotypes as targets. Controls included eosinophils incubated alone or incubated with uncoated beads, human serum albumin-, or OVA-coated beads. An eosinophil granule protein, the eosinophil-derived neurotoxin (EDN), was measured as an indicator of eosinophil degranulation. Eosinophils released eosinophil-derived neurotoxin when incubated with Sepharose beads coupled to Ig of the IgG or IgA isotypes, as well as IgA-Fc fragments. Mixtures of IgG and IgA on beads did not act synergistically. Secretory IgA (sIgA) provided the most potent signal for eosinophil degranulation and was two to three times more potent than IgG. Furthermore, 2 to 17% of the normodense eosinophils bound to IgG- or IgA-coated beads, whereas 24 to 27% of the eosinophils bound to sIgA-coated beads. Thus, sIgA may be the principal Ig mediating eosinophil effector function at mucosal surfaces in helminth infections and hypersensitivity diseases, especially bronchial asthma.

Cell-Free System↗

PubMed1988

Studies on the adhesive interaction between purified human eosinophils and cultured vascular endothelial cells.

Many recent studies have established the eosinophil as a primary effector cell in the pathology of allergic diseases. However, relatively little is known about the mechanisms by which eosinophils accumulate and are activated at local sites of tissue inflammation in allergic or other eosinophil-dependent pathologic states. Because the adherence of leukocytes to vascular endothelial cells (VEC) is a critical initial event in eosinophil infiltration, we have studied the interaction of purified human eosinophils with cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Treatment of VEC with stimuli known to activate endothelial cells, including purified human IL-1, rTNF-alpha, bacterial endotoxin LPS, and the tumor-promoting phorbol diester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate resulted in time- and dose-dependent increases (from two- to fourfold) in adhesiveness for eosinophils. Adherence induced by optimal concentrations of IL-1 (2 U/ml), TNF (1 micrograms/ml), and LPS (1 microgram/ml) is dependent upon the CD18 leukocyte cell surface adherence glycoproteins, because a mAb (60.3) directed against the common beta-subunit of the complex inhibits adherence induced by these stimuli. Several agents directly activated eosinophils to display increased adhesiveness to both VEC and gelatinized plates. The bacterial chemotactic peptide formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (10(-8) to 10(-6) M), TNF (1 to 1000 ng/ml), and 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (0.3 to 3 ng/ml) all increased eosinophil binding to VEC by two to fivefold. Platelet-activating factor (PAF; 10(-8) to 10(-6) M), but not lyso-PAF, caused approximately a twofold increase in eosinophil binding to both VEC and gelatinized tissue culture plates, suggesting that activation of eosinophils may be responsible for the known ability of PAF to induce eosinophilic responses. These results suggest that the initiation of an eosinophilic infiltrate in vivo can result from activation of endothelial cells, activation of eosinophils, or activation of both cell types.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

PubMed1987

Purification of eosinophils from normal human blood, preparation of eosinoplasts and characterization of their functional response to various stimuli.

Eosinophils from the blood of normal individuals were purified by centrifugation over discontinuous Percoll gradients. Eosinophil suspensions were obtained with a mean purity of 96% and a mean recovery of 64% (n = 19). When incubated with phorbol-myristate acetate, eosinophils consumed twice as much oxygen as did neutrophils from the same donors. With serum-treated zymosan, 70% and 100% of the maximal oxidative response (i.e. the response to phorbol-myristate acetate) was obtained with eosinophils and neutrophils, respectively. The calcium ionophore A23187 is a weak stimulus that triggered only 2.5% of the eosinophil and 10% of the neutrophil oxidative capacity. The response of both cell types to formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP) was rapid, with a maximum after 3 min. The magnitude of this eosinophil reaction was half that of neutrophils. Although the activities of the granule enzymes beta-glucuronidase and arylsulphatase were 2.5 and 6 times higher in eosinophils than in neutrophils, respectively, the exocytosis of these enzymes in response to various stimuli was lower in eosinophils. The high yield of eosinophils from our separation method enabled us to prepare eosinoplasts by centrifugation of eosinophils over discontinuous Ficoll gradients that contained cytochalasin B. Eosinoplasts are plasma membrane vesicles derived from eosinophils, filled with cytoplasm but devoid of granules and nucleus. The eosinoplasts contained 30% of the cytoplasm and plasma membrane present in intact eosinophils. Eosinoplasts still possessed a functionally intact oxidase enzyme that could be stimulated with various stimuli. Therefore, eosinoplasts may provide a valuable tool to study separately the role of the oxidase products and that of the granule contents in eosinophil functions.

Arylsulfatases↗

PubMed1985

Plasma membrane antigens on light density and activated human blood eosinophils.

In order to study the membrane events which lead to human blood eosinophil activation and degranulation, six clone of mouse monoclonal antibodies were made to isolated blood eosinophils from a patient with the hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES). The antibodies were specific for the plasma membranes of blood eosinophils and neutrophils, eosinophil myelocytes and haemopoietic cell lines. A higher proportion of blood eosinophils from eight patients with the HES bound these antibodies compared to normal individuals. Five antibodies stained intermediate density eosinophils preferentially, and one stained the light density eosinophils most strongly. Normal blood eosinophils were induced to express more of these antigens either by culture alone (two antibodies) or culture with monocyte culture supernatant which activates eosinophils for increased cytotoxic capacity (four antibodies). It was concluded that several of the principal antigens on the eosinophil plasma membrane are also present on neutrophils and immature haemopoietic cells, and that their expression in mature blood eosinophils is related to the extent of eosinophil activation and degranulation. It is suggested that these antigens may be useful in studying the ways in which eosinophils alter their plasma membrane during activation and degranulation in vitro, and in the blood of patients with an eosinophilia.

Adult↗

PubMed1985

Characterization of the interaction of human eosinophils and neutrophils with opsonized particles.

The interaction of human eosinophils with opsonized particles was compared with that of human neutrophils. When eosinophils are stimulated with serum-opsonized zymosan particles, the lag time in H2O2 production is twice as long as found with neutrophils. Moreover, the concentration of these IgG + C3-coated particles required for optimal stimulation is about four times as high for eosinophils as for neutrophils. Under these conditions, the two cell types generate similar amounts of H2O2. However, eosinophils produce twice as much H2O2 as do neutrophils when stimulated with the soluble agent phorbol myristate acetate. Thus, although the oxidase capacity of eosinophils is larger than that of neutrophils, opsonized zymosan is a weak trigger for this activity in eosinophils. This phenomenon may be due to differences between the two cell types in the plasma membrane receptors or in the receptor oxidase transducing signal. The following are indications for the first possibility. i) IgG interacts poorly with the Fc gamma receptors on the eosinophil surface compared with those on neutrophils. This was shown by the inability of IgG-coated zymosan or IgG-coated latex to trigger any substantial H2O2 production by eosinophils unless brought into close contact with these cells by centrifugation. In contrast, neutrophils are stimulated by these particles both in suspension and in a pellet. The dissimilarity of the Fc gamma receptors on eosinophils and neutrophils was also shown with respect to antigenicity, determined by the monoclonal antibodies 3G8 and CLB-FcR-1. ii) Eosinophils contain about half as many receptors for C3b and C3bi on their surface as do neutrophils, also detected with monoclonal antibodies. The interaction of IgG subclasses with functional Fc gamma receptors on eosinophils and neutrophils showed that eosinophils release twice as much H2O2 as do neutrophils upon interaction with IgG1-, IgG2-, or IgG3-coated Sepharose beads, but this difference becomes fivefold with IgG4-coated Sepharose. This might be of relevance to the situation of chronic antigenic stimulation, e.g., in chronic schistosomiasis, in which eosinophil numbers and IgG4 antibody levels are elevated.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

PubMed1995

Induction of apoptosis in human eosinophils by anti-Fas antibody treatment in vitro.

Fas antigen (CD95) can induce apoptosis of cells such as lymphocytes and neutrophils. To determine whether Fas antigen is involved in eosinophil apoptosis, we examined its expression and function on eosinophils in vitro. Purified human eosinophils expressed low but consistently detectable levels of Fas antigen. Culture of eosinophils in up to 10 ng/mL interleukin-5 (IL-5) prolonged eosinophil survival; incorporation of 1 to 1,000 ng/mL Fas antibody led to significant reductions in IL-5-induced eosinophil viability after 48 to 72 hours of culture. Reductions in survival could not be overcome by IL-5 and also occurred in the absence of exogenous IL-5. Preactivation of eosinophils with platelet-activating factor (PAF) significantly reduced eosinophil viability without altering the survival-reducing effects of Fas antibody treatment. In contrast, RANTES did not affect eosinophil viability or Fas antibody-induced reductions in eosinophil survival. After treatment with Fas antibody, electron microscopy of eosinophils and gel electrophoresis of DNA extracted from eosinophils demonstrated changes consistent with apoptosis. These data demonstrate that Fas antigen can modify eosinophil survival by inducing apoptosis through a pathway that is, at least in part, independent of the survival-promoting effects of IL-5.

Antigen-Antibody Reactions↗

PubMed1993

RANTES is a chemotactic and activating factor for human eosinophils.

RANTES is a member of the 8-kDa cytokine family that has been shown to possess chemotactic activity for monocytes and CD4 T cells. In this study, we investigated whether RANTES could affect eosinophil chemotaxis and function. Peripheral blood eosinophils from blood donors were isolated on Percoll gradients to > 98% purity and then used for chemotaxis, flow cytometry, eosinophil cationic protein release assay, and survival assay. We found that RANTES is chemotactic for eosinophils at 10(-9) to 10(-8) M concentrations. RANTES elicited 65% of the chemotactic response to 10(-7) M platelet-activating factor in all experiments. The mechanism of chemotaxis was investigated by studying the expression of adhesion molecules on eosinophils by flow cytometry. We found that RANTES up-regulated the expression of CD11b/CD18 on eosinophils in a dose-dependent manner. In another set of experiments, purified eosinophils incubated with various concentrations of RANTES released eosinophil cationic protein as measured by a RIA. We also investigated the effect of RANTES on eosinophil density. Leukocytes were incubated in the presence or absence of RANTES, and the distribution of eosinophils on discontinuous Percoll gradients was then examined. We found that eosinophils became hypodense (< 1.085) when incubated in RANTES. However, unlike IL-3, RANTES did not affect the survival of eosinophils in a 4-day culture system. Thus, we established that RANTES is a chemotactic and activating factor for eosinophils.

Chemokine CCL5↗

PubMed1996

Identification of interleukin-2 in human peripheral blood eosinophils.

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is an essential growth factor for T cells. Previous studies have shown that human peripheral eosinophils respond to IL-2 in chemotaxis and express the IL-2 receptor (CD25). In addition, eosinophils have been shown to transcribe messenger RNA for IL-2. The aim of the present study was to determine whether eosinophils translate mRNA for IL-2 and to determine the site of intracellular localization. By immunocytochemistry, an average of 9% of cells showed cytoplasmic staining for IL-2 in freshly isolated unstimulated blood eosinophils obtained from asthmatic subjects who were not receiving oral corticosteroid treatment (n = 5). Freshly isolated, disrupted, highly purified eosinophils (> 99%, by CD16- immunomagnetic selection) contained an average of 6 pg/10(6) cells of IL-2 measured by a specific enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (n = 7). Purified eosinophil incubated with serum-coated Sephadex beads showed an increase in the amount of intracellularly-retained IL-2 (26.2 +/- 7.2 pg/10(6) cells) with some evidence for release of this cytokine but only in three out of six eosinophil preparations (range 1.3-5.8 pg/10(6) cells). The intracellular localization of IL-2 was determined by fractionation of the cells on a linear (0-45%) Nycodenz gradient in sucrose buffer followed by detection of IL-2 in the fractions using an IL-2-specific ELISA and dot blotting. The majority of the IL-2 detected co-eluted with known eosinophil granule markers (i.e. major basic protein (MBP), eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) and beta-hexosaminidase) but small quantities were also detected in the cytosolic (lactate dehydrogenase-(LDH) associated) and membrane (CD9+) fractions. Immunogold labelling of intact eosinophils using an anti-IL-2 monoclonal antibody confirmed IL-2 immunoreactivity in association with the eosinophil crystalline granule cores. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that eosinophils synthesize, release and store IL-2 largely within cystalloid granules. This stored IL-2 may serve as a reservoir for rapid release of IL-2 in inflammatory reactions associated with eosinophilia.

Asthma↗

PubMed1998

Mast cells enhance eosinophil survival in vitro: role of TNF-alpha and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor.

Mast cell-eosinophil interactions in allergy have not yet been completely defined. To determine whether mast cells influence eosinophil survival, human peripheral blood eosinophils were incubated with rat peritoneal mast cell sonicate. After 3 days, viable eosinophils in medium were 21.3% compared with 44% with mast cell sonicate. Like sonicate, supernatants of compound 48/80-activated mast cells enhanced eosinophil survival, demonstrating that the factor(s) involved is stored preformed and rapidly released. Increased eosinophil survival was due to an inhibition of apoptosis (morphologic analysis; annexin V/PI). Neutralizing Abs to granulocyte-macrophage CSF (GM-CSF), but not to IL-3 or IL-5, decreased by 61.7% the enhancing effect on eosinophil viability. Eosinophils are the source of GM-CSF since its release in the culture medium was inhibited by their incubation with the mast cell sonicate together with dexamethasone. In addition, eosinophils incubated with the sonicate expressed mRNA for GM-CSF. To partially characterize the mast cell-derived factor(s) increasing eosinophil survival, the sonicate was heated (56 degrees C/30 min or 100 degrees C/10 min) or preincubated with antihistamines or with anti-TNF-alpha-neutralizing Abs. Most of the activity was heat labile. TNF-alpha was found to be predominantly (70%) responsible, while histamine had no role. Mast cell sonicate also caused eosinophils to release eosinophil peroxidase and to display morphologic signs of activation. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that mast cells enhance eosinophil survival in part through their activation to produce and release the autocrine survival cytokine GM-CSF.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

The biologic role of interleukin-8: functional analysis and expression of CXCR1 and CXCR2 on human eosinophils.

Chemokines play an important role in attracting granulocytes into sites of inflammation. Two chemokine subfamilies differ in their biologic activity for different granulocyte subsets. Whereas CXC chemokines such as interleukin-8 (IL-8) activate predominantly neutrophils, CC chemokines such as RANTES and eotaxin activate predominantly eosinophils. However, controversial results have been published in the past regarding the biologic role of IL-8 in eosinophil activation, particularly in allergic diseases. In this study, we investigated the functional evidence and expression of both IL-8 receptors, CXCR1 and CXCR2, on highly purified human eosinophils. In the first set of experiments, a chemotaxis assay was performed showing that IL-8 did not induce chemotaxis of eosinophils. In addition, and in contrast to neutrophils and lymphocytes, IL-8 did not induce a rapid and transient release of cytosolic free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) in eosinophils, even after preincubation with TH1- and TH2-like cytokines. To investigate whether neutrophil contamination might be responsible for the reported IL-8 effects on eosinophils, neutrophils were added to highly purified eosinophils from the same donor in different concentrations. Interestingly, as little as 5% of neutrophil contamination was sufficient to induce an increase of [Ca2+]i after stimulation with IL-8. Flow cytometry experiments with monoclonal antibodies against both IL-8 receptors demonstrated no expression of CXCR1 and CXCR2 on eosinophils before or after cytokine activation. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction experiments showed that eosinophils, in contrast to neutrophils and lymphocytes, did not express mRNA for CXCR1 and CXCR2. In summary, this study clearly demonstrates that CXCR1 and CXCR2 are not expressed on human eosinophils, even after priming with different bioactive cytokines. Because the CXC chemokine IL-8 did not induce in vitro effects on human eosinophils, IL-8 may also not contribute in vivo to the influx of eosinophil granulocytes into sites of allergic inflammation. Our results suggest that CC chemokines such as eotaxin, eotaxin-2, and MCP-4 are predominant for the activation of eosinophils.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗