Biological assays for C-X-C chemokines

Abstract

Publisher Summary Chemokines play a major role in mobilizing leukocytes to ward off attacks by invading pathogens. Each of the two major classes of chemokines is selective for a particular group of immune cells. This chapter discusses the assays available to measure the biological activities of one of these groups of chemoattractants, the C-X-C chemokines. The C-X-C chemokines that include interleukin-8 (IL-8) and melanoma growth stimulating activity (MGSA) preferentially attract neutrophils and induce their activation by producing changes in neutrophil shape, transient increases in cellular calcium concentration, and the upregulation of surface adhesion proteins. These chemokines play a major role in acute inflammatory responses. The chapter describes a procedure for isolating neutrophils from human blood and then discusses the biological effect of C-X-C chemokines on these cells as measured in a number of assays, including upregulation of CD18 adhesion proteins, elastase and β-glucuronidase release assays, and the oxidative burst.