Chemokines and their receptors in whiplash injury: Elevated RANTES and CCR-5

The human sufferings and socioeconomic burden due to whiplash-associated di sorders (WAD) are obvious but the pathogenesis of WAD is obscure. The possi ble involvement of the immune system during the disease process in WAD is n ot known. Effector molecules including chemokines and their receptors could play a role in WAD. In a prospective study using flow cytometry, we examin ed percentages of blood mononuclear cells (MNC) expressing the chemokines R ANTES, MCPA, MIP-l alpha, MIP-1 beta, and IL-8, the chemokine receptor CCR- 5, the T cell activation marker CD25, and the T cell chemoattractant IL-16 in patients with WAD and, for reference, in healthy controls. Higher percen tages of RANTES-expressing blood MNC and T cells were observed in patients with WAD examined within 3 days compared to 14 days after the whiplash inju ry and, likewise, compared with healthy controls. The patients with WAD exa mined within 3 days after the accident also had higher percentages of CCR-5 -expressing blood MNC, T cells, and CD45RO+ T cells compared to healthy con trols. In contrast, there were no differences for any of these variables be tween patients with WAD examined 14 days after injury and healthy controls. In conclusion, WAD is associated with a systemic but transient dysregulati on in percentages of RANTES and CCR-5 expressing MNC and T cells.