Monosodium urate monohydrate crystals induce the release of the proinflammatory protein S100A8/A9 from neutrophils

The neutrophil cytoplasmic protein S100A8/A9 (along with S100A8 and S100A9) is chemotactic and stimulates neutrophil adhesion by activating the beta2-integrin CD11b/CD18. It is also essential to neutrophil migration in vivo in response to monosodium urate monohydrate (MSUM) crystals, the principal etiologic agent of gout. S100A8/A9 is present in the synovial fluid of patients with gout and arthritis and is secreted by activated monocytes; however, its mechanism of release by neutrophils remains unknown. The aim of this study was to identify the mechanism of stimulation of the release of S100A8/A9 by MSUM-activated neutrophils. Here, we show that S100A8/A9 is released by neutrophils stimulated with MSUM crystals and that this release could be enhanced by preincubating neutrophils with granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor. Antibodies directed against CD11b and CD16 blocked the release induced by MSUM crystals, suggesting that Fc receptor for immunoglobulin G (FcgammaR)IIIB (CD16) and CD11b/CD18 were involved in the stimulation by MSUM crystals. Neutrophil preincubation with the Src kinase inhibitor 4-amino-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-7-(t-butyl) pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine and the Syk tyrosine kinase inhibitor trans-3,3',4,5'-tetrahydrozystilbene significantly reduced the release of S100A8/A9, suggesting that the Src tyrosine kinase family and Syk were involved. In addition, wortmannin reduced neutrophil release of S100A8/A9, indicating a potential involvement of phosphatidylinolitol-3 kinase in this release. Preincubation of neutrophils with the tubulin depolymerization promoters nocodazole and vincristine reduced MSUM-induced release, suggesting a tubulin-associated pathway of release. These results indicate that S100A8/A9 is released by MSUM crystal-stimulated neutrophils following activation of CD11b, CD16, Src kinases, Syk, and tubulin polymerization.