Recombinant human tumor necrosis factor increases granulocyte cell-surface complement receptor number
D. Reed and F. D. Moore Jr
Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115.
Exposure of human buffy-coat granulocytes to tumor necrosis factor (TNF)
produced cellular activation as indicated by an increase in the neutrophil
and monocyte cell-surface number of C3b receptors (measured by indirect
immunofluorescence). The degree of receptor increase depended on the dose
of TNF from 25 to 1250 pg/mL. Results of kinetic analysis confirmed this
response: TNF, 250 pg/mL, caused an increase in the C3b receptor number
within ten minutes. Purified neutrophils exhibited a similar increase in
cell-surface C3b receptors dependent on the concentration of TNF. Tumor
necrosis factor could be a mediator of granulocyte activation in patients.
