Specific accumulation of circulating monocytes and polymorphonuclear leukocytes on platelet thrombi in a vascular injury model.

The adhesion of leukocytes to platelets deposited at the site of vascular injury may represent an important mechanism by which leukocytes contribute to hemostasis and thrombosis. In this study, we examined whether, in comparison with their distribution in circulating blood, certain leukocyte types are enriched at sites of platelet deposition. We used an experimental vascular injury model, in which human fibrillar collagen was exposed to anticoagulated human whole blood flowing through parallel-plate chambers (venous shear rate, 65/s). The platelet-adherent leukocytes were detached by EDTA treatment and analyzed by flow cytometry using cell-type-specific antibodies. The predominant leukocytes found in platelet thrombi were polymorphonuclear leukocytes, accounting for 76% of bound leukocytes (62% in circulating blood), whereas T and B lymphocytes did not significantly accumulate on thrombi, comprising a fraction of less than 5% (32% in circulating blood). Monocytes constituted 16% of platelet thrombus-bound leukocytes, which represents an almost fourfold enrichment as compared with their proportion in circulating blood. Almost identical results were obtained when we analyzed leukocytes adhering to platelet monolayers, which were formed by blocking glycoprotein IIb-IIIa, thus preventing platelet aggregation on top of the collagen-adherent platelets. Furthermore, leukocyte adhesion to platelet monolayers was completely inhibited by an anti-P-selectin antibody (50% inhibitory concentration, 0.3 microg/mL), whereas it reached a plateau at about 70% inhibition on platelet thrombi. This difference could be explained by a possible function of glycoprotein IIb-IIIa in leukocyte immobilization to thrombi or by the high local concentration of P-selectin in the growing thrombi. The results suggest that, because of their known abilities to promote coagulation and thrombolysis, the monocytes and polymorphonuclear leukocytes accumulating on forming platelet thrombi could play an important role in modulating thrombotic and hemostatic processes.