LEUKOCYTE-DERIVED NEUTROPHIL CHEMOTACTIC FACTOR-II PRODUCED BY INFILTRATED LEUKOCYTES IN ALLERGIC INFLAMMATION MODEL IN RATS IS MACROPHAGE INFLAMMATORY PROTEIN-2

In the air pouch-type allergic inflammation model in rats, leukocytes collected from the pouch fluid 4 h after the antigen challenge produce d proteinaceous chemotactic factors for neutrophils, The leukocytes fr om the immunized rats produced significantly higher amount of the chem otactic factors than that from the non-immunized rats. The major chemo tactic factor, leukocyte-derived neutrophil chemotactic factor (LDNCF) -2, was purified and found to be identical with rat macrophage inflamm atory protein (MIP)-2 by N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis. Expr ession of MIP-2 mRNA was higher in the leukocytes from the immunized r ats than that from the non-immunized rats. Possible roles of LDNCF-2 ( MIP-2) in neutrophil infiltration in the allergic inflammation is disc ussed.