Chemotaxis of human neutrophils and eosinophils towards leukotriene B 4 and its 20-w-oxidation products in vitro

Abstract

Peripheral blood neutrophils and eosinophils from 70 patients and controls were studied for their in vitro chemotactic and chemokinetic responses towards synthetic leukotriene B 4 (LTB 4), 20-OH-LTB 4 and 20-COOH-LTB 4. All three factors induced chemotaxis and chemokinesis of cells. 20-OH-LTB 4 was always less and 20-COOH-LTB 4 even less active than the parent compound. Cells from patients with atopic eczema and T cell lymphoma moved less than cells from normal controls or from patients with psoriasis. In the presence of LTB 4, 20-OH-LTB 4 and buffer alone, more eosinophils than neutrophils moved to the lower side of the filter, while this did not occur with platelet activating factor as chemoattractant. Studies of neutrophil and eosinophil chemotaxis in the presence of LTB 4 should therefore always take into account a high variability of the quantitative response which is donor and disease dependent.