Chemokine-dependent upregulation of CD11b on specific leukocyte subpopulations in human whole blood: effect of anticoagulant on rantes and MIP-1 beta stimulation.

The effect of anticoagulant (heparin vs EDTA) on chemokine induced CD11b upregulation on neutrophils, eosinophils, and monocytes in human whole blood was determined. For most of the chemokines (IL-8, GRO-alpha, MCP-1, MIP-1 alpha) the difference in the response of leukocytes in EDTA anticoagulated blood vs those in heparinized blood was the degree of their maximal response, with a slightly higher maximal increase in CD11b expression usually seen in cells from EDTA anticoagulated blood. Two chemokines were exceptions to this: RANTES and MIP-1 beta. RANTES is considered to be a stimulator of monocytes and eosinophils and not of neutrophils. As expected, neutrophils in heparinized whole blood did not respond to RANTES; however, neutrophils in EDTA anticoagulated blood had a significant increase in CD11b when exposed to high concentrations (1 microM) of RANTES. RANTES-induced CD11b expression on monocytes and eosinophils in these samples were the same in either heparin or EDTA. In EDTA anticoagulated blood, MIP-1 beta did not elicit a response in either monocytes, eosinophils or neutrophils; however, in heparinized blood, all three cell types increased CD11b expression upon exposure to 1 microM MIP-1 beta.