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Plasma from patients with severe Lassa fever profoundly modulates f‐met‐leu‐phe induced superoxide generation in neutrophils
Author(s) -
Roberts Pamela J.,
Cummins David,
Bainton Adrian L.,
Walshe Karen J.,
FisherHoch Susan P.,
McCormick Joseph B.,
Gribben John G.,
Machin Samuel J.,
Linch David C.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
british journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.907
H-Index - 186
eISSN - 1365-2141
pISSN - 0007-1048
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2141.1989.tb00245.x
Subject(s) - lassa fever , superoxide , respiratory burst , immunology , nadph oxidase , pathogenesis , platelet , chemotaxis , lassa virus , inflammation , medicine , biology , reactive oxygen species , biochemistry , enzyme , virus , receptor
Summary A recurrent theme in studies of the pathology of fatal Lassa fever in man is the lack of histological lesions to explain disordered cell function and death. Recently, we demonstrated the existence of a factor in the plasma of patients with Lassa fever which markedly inhibits the aggregation responses of normal platelets in vitro. To assess whether this factor could mediate more global cellular dysfunction, we studied the effects of Lassa plasma on the respiratory burst of neutrophils. Thirteen of 15 samples from patients in the acute phase of Lassa fever profoundly inhibited the amount of superoxide generated by normal neutrophils in response to the chemotactic peptide, f‐met‐leu‐phe (FMLP) (mean superoxide generated = 54.7 ± 6.1% of control). In contrast, eight of nine samples from patients who had infections other than Lassa fever enhanced the neutrophil response to the peptide. All Lassa samples which inhibited the ADP‐induced aggregation responses of normal platelets inhibited the neutrophil response to FMLP. Unlike the effect on platelets, however, the inhibition of neutrophils was only apparent when the cells were stimulated within 5 min of exposure to the plasma. The inhibition of neutrophils is not due to either interference with FMLP‐neutrophil binding or an effect on the NADPH‐oxidase, suggesting a suppression of signal transduction. Our data suggest the inhibitory factor in Lassa plasma has global effects on cellular function, and may play a central role in the pathogenesis of this often fatal illness.