Superoxide anion release by GM-CSF-primed neutrophils in response to thrombin-activated platelets: altered response of neutrophils from patients with Behcet's disease

Abstract

A study was designed to clarify the role of inter-actions among polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs), platelets, and cytokines in Behçet's disease. PMNs were obtained from 67 patients with Behçet's disease attending the department of ophthalmology in Osaka University Hospital. The effect of thrombin-activated platelets on the release of superoxide anion by PMNs preincubated with or without granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) was studied. The results were compared with those of PMNs obtained from 35 normal volunteers.
Thrombin-activated platelets induced Superoxide release from PMNs preincubated without GM-CSF in 48/67 of patien+s with Behçet's disease and in 23/ 35 of normal volunteers. The frequency was not statistically different between the two groups (X² test) .
Superoxide release from PMNs primed with GM-CSF was increased by thrombin-activated platelets in 48/67 of patients with Behçet's disease and in 34/35 of normal volunteers. Statistical analysis performed with X² test showed that the frequency was significantly decreased in patients with Behçet's disease (P<0.01) . This suggests that PMNs are desensitized to GM-CSF and activated platelets in some patients with Behçet's disease. The interaction of PMNs and platelets may be implicated in the pathogenesis of Behçet's disease.