Human granulocyte CD11b expression as a pharmacodynamic biomarker of inflammation

A method has been developed for the direct quantification of the CD11b inte grin on granulocytes by flow cytometric analysis of whole blood specimens f ollowing either LTB4 or Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. This method h as utility in evaluating the pharmacodynamic action of either LTB4 receptor antagonists or immune cell modulators in effecting CD11b integrin expressi on and granulocyte activation in human subjects administered such drugs. Pr evious studies using CD11b as a biomarker of granulocyte activation have fa ltered because of the difficulty in controlling the activation state of the granulocyte following removal of blood from subjects. The present study ha s made use of a newly validated method using either LTB4 or LPS to stimulat e CD11b expression on granulocytes and has been used, as one measure, in th e evaluation of LPS activity when administered to normal human volunteers. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.