Accumulation of monocyte-derived foam cells in focal areas of the atherosclerotic (A.S.-) lesion is one of the key events in early atherogenesis. Using a flow model for the damaged vessel wall, we examined the ability of ECM-bound platelets to induce monocyte tethering and adhesion. Whereas ECM-proteins alone induced monocyte adhesion only at low shear stresses (F100 mPa), ECM-bound platelets induced monocyte rolling and adhesion at shear stresses up to 240 mPa. Studies with specific antibodies showed that monocyte adhesion to platelets was mainly mediated by P-selectin and monocyte PSGL-1 (maximum inhibition 90%). ␤ 2 -Integrin blocking CD18 and CD11b antibodies partly inhibited the arrest of rolling cells. Antibodies against other adhesion molecules such as LFA-1, PECAM-1, and ␤ 1 -integrins had no effect. Even sparsely adhered platelets (D10% coverage of the surface) already strongly supported monocyte tethering. In conclusion, activated platelets present on ECM are a powerful adhesive substrate for monocyte recruitment under flow conditions. J. Leukoc. Biol. 64: 467-473; 1998.

The proposed prediction model identifies eosinophilic asthma without the need for sputum induction. The model forms a noninvasive and externally validated test to assess eosinophilic asthma in patients not on OCS.

Allergic inflammation in the lung is characteristic of allergic asthma. This inflammatory process is inhibited by treatment with glucocorticoids. One of the cell types involved in the inflammatory process, the monocyte, is found in enhanced numbers in mucosal lung biopsies of asthmatic patients. Little is known about the mechanisms that lead to increased numbers of monocytes in lung tissue. We studied one of the processes involved, chemotaxis, in a modified Boyden Chamber assay. The effect of the antiinflammatory drug dexamethasone was tested on monocyte chemotactic responses to complement fragment C5a. Human monocytes from peripheral blood of normal human volunteers were purified by centrifugal elutriation. The monocytes showed a reproducible chemotactic response toward C5a with an optimum at a concentration of 10(-9) M. After culture of the monocytes overnight, the monocyte responses were clearly impaired. It is interesting that upon culture, dexamethasone increased monocyte chemotaxis in a dose-dependent manner. Analysis of the filters with an image analyzer showed that the effect was not through modulation of a subpopulation of monocytes. This steroid effect was specific and modulated via steroid receptors, because the introduction of RU 38486, a steroid receptor antagonist, completely inhibited the effect of dexamethasone. These findings are a further illustration of the complex mechanisms involved in the orchestration of the inflammatory response in asthma.

P38 MAPK is a central mediator in cytokine signalling in human leukocytes. P38 MAPK is activated by phosphorylation of a conserved Thr180-X-Tyr182 motif by dual phosphorylation via the upstream kinases MKK3 and MKK6. Alternatively, P38 MAPK can be activated via autophosphorylation when associated with TAB1. In this study P38 MAPK phosphorylation and activation (measured via phosphorylation of P38 MAPK downstream target MK2) were investigated upon engagement of the GM-CSF-and TNF␣-receptors expressed on both eosinophils and neutrophils. The MKK3/MKK6 pathway mediated neutrophil P38 MAPK activation after stimulation with TNF␣ (100 U/ml) or GM-CSF (10 −10 M). Under these conditions the activation but not phosphorylation of P38 MAPK could be inhibited by SB203580 (10 −5 M or 10 −6 M). In eosinophils SB203580 (10 −6 M) inhibited both the phosphorylation and activation of P38 MAPK after stimulation with several doses of TNF␣ (10-10000 U/ml) or GM-CSF (10 −11 to 10 −9 M), indicating that P38 MAPK activation is mediated via autophosphorylation in eosinophils. This hypothesis was supported by the finding that in marked contrast to neutrophils, MKK3/MKK6 did not show enhanced phosphorylation in eosinophils after cytokine stimulation, but were constitutively phosphorylated. Therefore, the involvement of TAB1 was investigated with regard to this cytokine-induced autophosphorylation. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments showed that TAB1 was constitutively associated with P38 MAPK in eosinophils and neutrophils and that cytokine-induced autophosphorylated P38 MAPK was co-precipitated with TAB1. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that cytokine-induced autophosphorylation of P38 MAPK in primary granulocytes depends on the interaction with TAB1.