Development of pro-inflammatory phenotype in monocytes after engulfing Hb-activated platelets in hemolytic disorders

Monocytes and macrophage combat infections and maintain homeostatic balance by engulfing microbes and apoptotic cells, and releasing inflammatory cytokines. Studies have described that these cells develop anti-inflammatory properties upon recycling the free-hemoglobin (Hb) in hemolytic conditions. While investigating the phenotype of monocytes in two hemolytic disorders-paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) and sickle cell disease (SCD), we observed a high number of pro-inflammatory (CD14⁺CD16^hi) monocytes in these patients. We further investigated in vitro the phenotype of these monocytes and found an estimated 55% of CD14⁺ cells were transformed into the CD14⁺CD16^hi subset after engulfing Hb-activated platelets. The CD14⁺CD16^hi monocytes, which were positive for both intracellular Hb and CD42b (platelet marker), secreted significant amounts of TNF-α and IL-1β, unlike monocytes treated with only free Hb, which secreted more IL-10. We have shown recently the presence of a high number of Hb-bound hyperactive platelets in patients with both diseases, and further investigated if the monocytes engulfed these activated platelets in vivo. As expected, we found 95% of CD14⁺CD16^hi monocytes with both intracellular Hb and CD42b in both diseases, and they expressed high TNF-α. Furthermore our data showed that these monocytes whether from patients or developed in vitro after treatment with Hb-activated platelets, secreted significant amounts of tissue factor. Besides, these CD14⁺CD16^hi monocytes displayed significantly decreased phagocytosis of E. coli. Our study therefore suggests that this alteration of monocyte phenotype may play a role in the increased propensity to pro-inflammatory/coagulant complications observed in these hemolytic disorders-PNH and SCD.