EXPRESSION AND BIOLOGY OF NEUTROPHIL AND ENDOTHELIAL CELL-DERIVED CHEMOKINES

The elicitation of polymorphonuclear leukocytes or neutrophils to an a rea of tissue injury is one of the most fundamental of all cell respon ses during the initiation of host defense. Historically, the neutrophi l has been identified as an important phagocytic cell with a limited c apacity to synthesize de-novo proteins. However; recent investigations have now shown that stimulated neutrophils can express a variety of c ytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor interleukin-l, interferon-alph a and interleukin-8. The ability of neutrophils and endothelial cells to produce interleukin-8 is extremely important, as this chemokine can contribute to the continued maintenance of cell infiltrates into the developing inflammatory lesion.