Interleukin-8 production in red blood cell incompatibility
RD Davenport, RM Strieter, TJ Standiford and SL Kunkel
Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor.
Hemolytic transfusion reactions (HTR) are characterized by fever, shock,
organ system failure, intravascular coagulation, and possibly death. The
same findings may be associated with sepsis. Neutrophils have been
implicated in the pathogenesis of HTR, although a mechanism for neutrophil
activation has not been shown. In addition, the possible role that
cytokines may play in HTR has not been investigated. We show that
interleukin-8 (IL-8), a cytokine with chemotactic and neutrophil-
activation properties, is produced in whole blood following addition of
ABO-incompatible red blood cells, in a dose- and time-dependent manner
related to the degree of hemolysis, and is inhibited by inactivation of
complement. IL-8 production is accompanied by increased gene expression in
the buffy coat. This observation has implications for the understanding of
the pathogenesis of and for the treatment of HTR.
Volume 76,
Issue 12,
pp. 2439-2442,
12/15/1990
Copyright © 1990 by The American Society of Hematology
