IL-8 INDUCES NEUTROPHIL CHEMOTAXIS PREDOMINANTLY VIA TYPE-I IL-8 RECEPTORS

IL-8 is a potent proinflammatory cytokine that has a key role in the r ecruitment and activation of neutrophils during inflammation. IL-8 rea cts with neutrophils via two distinct types of IL-8-R. Receptor-specif ic Abs were raised against peptides derived from the first extracellul ar domain of each IL-8-R. Anti-IL-8-R1 and anti-IL-8-R2 selectively bl ock I-125-IL-8 binding to rIL-8-R type 1 or 2, respectively. The anti- peptide Abs were used to assess the role of each receptor in the chemo tactic response of neutrophils to GRO alpha and to IL-8. Anti-IL-8-R2 blocks GRO alpha-induced chemotaxis of neutrophils. Chemotaxis to GRO alpha is not inhibited by anti-IL-8-R1. Thus GRO alpha stimulates chem otaxis exclusively through IL-8-R2 and independently of IL-8-R1. Surpr isingly, anti-IL-8-R1 inhibits the majority (78 +/- 3%) of IL-8-induce d neutrophil chemotaxis. Only a minor proportion of IL-8-induced chemo taxis (29 +/- 5%) is inhibited by anti-IL-8-R2. These findings indicat e that chemotaxis to IL-8 is mediated predominantly by type 1 IL-8-Rs and suggest that IL-8-R1 is an appropriate target for therapeutic stra tegies to limit neutrophil influx in diseases where neutrophils contri bute to pathophysiology.