[Relationship between chemotaxis and surface antigen of neutrophils]

Neutrophils migrate from the peripheral vessels into the local tissues and cause acute inflammation. It was speculated that there was heterogeneity among neutrophils in terms of migration. Neutrophils were classified into two groups according to their migratory speed. The relationship between the amount of chemotaxis-associated antigen of cell surface and neutrophilic functions were examined. The classification of neutrophils into fast cells and slow ones was performed using Boyden chambers and nucleopore filters (10 microns). In the chemotactic examinations, neutrophils which migrated toward the lower compartments were named fast locomotive group, and cell stayed in the upper part of Boyden chambers were named slow locomotive group. Both groups were reacted with anti-human granulocyte monoclonal antibody termed TM316 and treated with FITC-conjugated anti-mouse IgM(kappa) antibodies. The results revealed that fast locomotive cells expressed greater amount of TM316 associated antigens and generated stronger chemiluminescence than slow locomotive cells. These results indicate that neutrophils are not homogeneous in terms of functions and surface antigens.