Leukokinesis-enhancing factor in human serum: partial characterization and relationship to disorders of leukocyte migration

The chemokinetic inhibitory factor (CIF) in serum of CLL patients: correlation with infection propensity and disease activity

We have recently described the partial purification and characterization of a neutrophil migration inhibitory activity present in serum from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). This new lymphokine, the chemokinetic inhibitory factor (CIF), is produced by B-CLL cells. It is a heat-labile glycoprotein of an approximate molecular weight (m. w.) of 30000. In this extended investigation 64/89 CLL-patients had CIF in their serum. CLL serum diluted to a concentration of 0.02% gave significantly decreased chemokinetic activity, suggesting that CIF is potent at very low concentrations. 31/89 patients had increased infection propensity. Significantly more patients with CIF in serum had infections compared to the group with normal susceptibility to infections. The combination of low Ig levels and CIF in serum discriminated even better between the infection-prone and non-infection-prone patients. CIF in serum was not correlated to tumour cell mass - estimated by Rai clinical staging - tumour progression or deoxythymidine kinase, S-TK, an enzyme that may reflect proliferating cells. The existence of this new lymphokine in serum seems to contribute to the increased susceptibility to infections seen in CLL patients.

Polymorphonuclear leukocyte migration abnormalities and their significance in seriously traumatized patients

Polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) locomotory responses were studied in 24 patients who sustained serious blunt trauma, mostly from motor vehicle accidents. The results showed the presence of a combined cell- and serum-associated locomotory abnormality. The serum abnormality was due to a cell-directed inhibitor, and was present for an average of 3 days. The cell-associated abnormality persisted for approximately 1 week in uninfected patients, and 2 weeks in the infected group. Both mature and immature forms of PMNs contribute to the PMN locomotory dysfunction observed. A significant correlation was observed between the degree of PMN locomotory abnormality or injury severity score and the infection rate. Eighteen infections (six suspected and 12 definite) were observed in 11 of the 24 patients. Twelve (67%) infections involved the lungs. Nine patients (82%) showed evidence of infection by day 6. PMN dysfunction in trauma is associated with increased infection rate and is not due solely to increased numbers of immature forms of PMNs.

Partial characterization and identification of chemokinetic factors in serum

The chemokinetic effect of serum, defined as the stimulation of the rate of polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) migration in the presence of serum has been investigated for the purpose of identifying the major factors in serum contributing to this effect. The chemokinetic activity has been measured in fresh and heated (56 degrees C) serum and in fractions of serum separated by gel filtration. Gel filtration showed the existence of at least three heat-stable chemokinetic factors with approximate molecular weight of 800,000, 150,000, and 70,000. By immunoprecipitation and immunoadsorption the 800,000 mol. wt factor was identified as alpha 2-macroglobulin and the 70,000 mol wt. factor as alpha 1-antitrypsin and orosomucoid. Heat-labile chemokinetic activity was found in fractions representing mol. wts around 200,000 and 50,000. Immunoprecipitation and immunoadsorption indicated that these heat-labile chemokinetic factors were C3-associated. This investigation suggests a new functional role for the acute-phase reactants alpha 2-macroglobulin, alpha 1-antitrypsin, orosomucoid, and C3 in the modulation of PMN migration and also suggests that the chemokinetic activities of these substances are regulated by specific antagonists at various levels.

Chemotaxis in yersinia arthritis. In vitro stimulation of neutrophil migration by HLA--B27 positive and negative sera

Chemotactic and chemokinetic migration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes in sera from patients with previous yersinia arthritis and from healthy subjects with or without HLA--B27 were studied by the leading front method. Irrespective of yersinia arthritis, zymosan-activated sera from subjects who were HLA--B27 positive were significantly more chemokinetic than were HLA--B27 negative zymosan-activated sera from healthy control subjects. The chemotactic activities of zymosan-activated sera that were HLA--B27 positive or negative, as determined by chemotactic increments, were much the same. The results suggest that zymosan-activated serum that is HLA--B27 positive stimulates random migration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes, but not their directional migration, more than does HLA--B27 negative serum that has been zymosan activated. This may contribute to accumulation of polymorphonuclear leukocytes at the site of inflammation in vivo and thereby to inflammatory symptoms in yersinia arthritis patients with HLA--B27.

Cell-directed inhibition of polymorphonuclear leukocyte chemotaxis in a patient with mucocutaneous candidiasis

A patient with mucocutaneous candidiasis and impaired polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) chemotaxis is described. The patient's PMN chemotaxis was markedly decreased in the presence of autologous plasma but normal in control plasma. Cell-directed inhibitory activity was found in whole patient plasma as well as the 40% ammonium sulfate precipitate fraction of both the patient's and the control plasma. The inhibitor was heat stable, reversible, nondialyzable, eluted from DEAE cellulose with 0.005 M sodium phosphate buffer, and migrated with IgG on immunoelectrophoresis. The supernate from 40% ammonium sulfate-fractionated patient and control plasma contained a cell-directed enhancer of PMN chemotaxis that antagonized the cell-directed inhibitor activity. It is possible that the patient's chemotactic defect may be caused by imbalance between plasma factors that regulate chemotaxis.