Impaired granulocyte oxidative burst and decreased expression of leucocyte adhesion molecule‐1 (LAM‐1) in patients with Wegener's granulomatosis

• Published in: Clinical and experimental immunology Vol. 96; no. 1; pp. 43 - 47
• Main Authors: RIECKEN, B., GUTFLEISCH, J., SCHLESIER, M., PETER, H. H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-04-1994; Blackwell
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Cell Adhesion Molecules - metabolism; Down-Regulation; Female; granulocyte function; Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis - physiopathology; Humans; L-Selectin; Male; Medical sciences; Neutrophils - physiology; oxidative burst surface marker analysis; Phagocytosis; Respiratory Burst; Sarcoidosis. Granulomatous diseases of unproved etiology. Connective tissue diseases. Elastic tissue diseases. Vasculitis; Wegener's granulomatosis; Human; Immunomodulation; Granulocyte; Cell adhesion molecule; Cardiovascular disease; Wegener granulomatosis; Adhesion; Cell surface; Vascular disease; Phenotype; Vasculitis; Systemic disease; Respiratory burst
• ISSN: 0009-9104; 1365-2249
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2249.1994.tb06227.x

SUMMARY
Neutrophils are the target of autoantibodies in Wegener's granulomatosis (WG). In this study, granulocyte function and surface marker expression were investigated in patients with WG. The oxidative burst in response to phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) was tested with granulocytes of 25 patients with histologically proven WG. A significantly diminished percentage of oxygen radical‐producing cells was found in patients with active disease. Surface antigen expression of CD 11 b and LAM‐1 was analysed on granulocytes of 20 patients with WG. Whereas the expression of CD 11 b was normal, surface expression of LAM‐1 was decreased in nine cases with WG. The decrease of LAM‐1 correlated with disease activity. Phagocytosis of Escherichia coli was tested in 10 patients with WG, and normal values were found in all cases. We conclude that down‐regulation of LAM‐1 may be a marker of disease activity in WG. The altered response to PMA may indicate functional changes in granulocyte reactivity due to autoantibody‐induced damage of the granulocyte membrane.