CHEMOKINE AND CHEMOKINE RECEPTOR MESSENGER-RNA EXPRESSION IN HUMAN PLATELETS

In order to study the role of platelets in inflammation we constructed a cDNA library from human platelet mRNA. By polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of the library we have shown that platelets express mR NAs for the following chemokines: connective tissue activating peptide -III (CTAP-III), epithelial-derived neutrophil activating factor-78 (E NA-78), RANTES and monocyte chemotactic protein-3 (MCP-3). Platelets a lso express mRNAs for interleukin 8 receptor A (IL-8RA) and a novel ch emokine receptor K5.5. These results suggest that chemokines may not o nly play an important role in platelet activation but can also influen ce the nature of the leukocyte infiltrate to sites of inflammation and infection, by the production of multiple chemokines with overlapping specificities. (C) 1995 Academic Press Limited