Differential expression of tumor necrosis factor receptor subtypes on leukocytes in systemic inflammatory response syndrome

Crit Care Med. 1999 Feb;27(2):319-24. doi: 10.1097/00003246-199902000-00038.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor in patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS).

Design: Prospective study.

Setting: Intensive care unit and central laboratory.

Patients: Blood specimens from 18 healthy volunteers (controls) and 16 patients with SIRS.

Interventions: None.

Measurements and main results: Using monoclonal antibodies, fluorescence labeling, and high sensitivity flow cytometry, we measured the expression of membrane TNF receptor subtypes TNF-R55 and TNF-R75 on peripheral blood leukocytes. Receptor expression is expressed as mean fluorescence intensity +/- SD (units: detection channel number). In controls, TNF-R55 was only weakly expressed (monocytes: 2.5+/-1.8; neutrophils: 0.7+/-0.8), whereas expression of TNF-R75 was higher (monocytes: 28.6+/-9.0; neutrophils: 4.8+/-1.0) and was also found on lymphocytes (on CD8+ lymphocytes: 5.7+/-1.8; CD16+: 5.5+/-1.2; CD4+: 9.7+/-3.7). In SIRS, we observed increased expression of TNF-R55 on monocytes (6.9+/-3.4, p<.001) and neutrophils (2.2+/-1.9, p<.01), as well as decreased expression of TNF-R75 on monocytes (17.3+/-13.2; p<.001). The extent of TNF-R55 up-regulation did not correlate with that of TNF-R75 down-regulation. TNF-R55 on monocytes and neutrophils strongly correlated with body temperature but not with survival, whereas monocyte TNF-R75 was considerably lower in nonsurvivors, albeit not significantly (12.3+/-7.1 vs. 23.9+/-16.7; p = .07).

Conclusions: These data indicate that leukocyte TNF-R55 and TNF-R75 react differentially and probably serve different functions in SIRS, which prompts the investigation of receptor subtype-specific therapeutic approaches.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Antibodies / blood
  • Female
  • Flow Cytometry / methods
  • Flow Cytometry / statistics & numerical data
  • Fluorescent Antibody Technique / statistics & numerical data
  • Humans
  • Leukocytes / classification
  • Leukocytes / physiology*
  • Linear Models
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Molecular Weight
  • Prospective Studies
  • Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / blood*
  • Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / classification
  • Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / immunology
  • Reference Values
  • Statistics, Nonparametric
  • Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome / blood*

Substances

  • Antibodies
  • Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor