[Serum hemopexin: suppressive effect on neutrophil functions and prospect of clinical application to autoimmune
1Advanced Research Institute for Science and Engineering, Waseda University.
Hemopexin is a serum glycoprotein with a high binding affinity for heme, and is known as a scavenger/transporter of heme. Recent studies indicated that purified hemopexin suppresses neutrophil adhesion and phagocytosis by a mechanism unrelated to heme-binding, suggesting a novel activity of hemopexin. Unidentified serum factor in combination with Ca2+ dampens the effect of hemopexin. So, hemopexin in peripheral blood may not act as an inhibitor of neutrophil function. However, because hemopexin is synthesized in injured peripheral nerves, it may be hypothesized that hemopexin has an anti-inflammatory role in nerve repair by suppressing phagocyte accumulation/phagocytosis. Further studies of hemopexin may provide new therapeutic strategies aimed at suppressing neutrophil functions to control inflammation and tissue injury, especially in autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Hemopexin is a serum glycoprotein with a high binding affinity for heme, and is known as a scavenger/transporter of heme. Recent studies indicated that purified hemopexin suppresses neutrophil adhesion and phagocytosis by a mechanism unrelated to heme-binding, suggesting a novel activity of hemopexin. Unidentified serum factor in combination with Ca2+ dampens the effect of hemopexin. So, hemopexin in peripheral blood may not act as an inhibitor of neutrophil function. However, because hemopexin is synthesized in injured peripheral nerves, it may be hypothesized that hemopexin has an anti-inflammatory role in nerve repair by suppressing phagocyte accumulation/phagocytosis. Further studies of hemopexin may provide new therapeutic strategies aimed at suppressing neutrophil functions to control inflammation and tissue injury, especially in autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
