GRANULOCYTE CLEARANCE BY APOPTOSIS IN THE RESOLUTION OF INFLAMMATION

It has recently been recognized that extravasated granulocytes undergo apoptosis or programmed cell death. This process controls the functio nal longevity of these cells and is exquisitely modulated by environme ntal inflammatory mediators. By contrast with nemesis, an alternative fate for granulocytes in tissues, during apoptosis the granulocyte mem brane remains intact and potentially injurious granule contents are re tained. The intact apoptotic cell is removed by macrophages utilizing novel surface recognition mechanisms which fail to trigger a pro-infla mmatory macrophage response. The balance between granulocyte apoptosis and necrosis in inflamed tissues may be an important determinant of t he degree of tissue injury, and further dissection of the mechanisms o f granulocyte apoptosis and removal may lead to new therapeutic strate gies in inflammatory disease.