Osteopontin mediates murine transfusion-related acute lung injury via stimulation of pulmonary neutrophil accumulation

Transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) is one of the leading causes of transfusion-related fatalities and is characterized by the onset of acute respiratory distress within 6 hours upon blood transfusion. Specific therapies are unavailable. Preexisting inflammation is a risk factor for TRALI and neutrophils (polymorphonuclear neutrophils [PMNs]) are considered to be the major pathogenic cells. Osteopontin (OPN) is a multifunctional protein expressed at sites of inflammation and, for example, is involved in pulmonary disorders, can regulate cellular migration, and can function as a PMN chemoattractant. We investigated whether OPN is involved in TRALI induction by promoting PMN recruitment to the lungs. Using a previously established murine TRALI model, we found that in contrast to wild-type (WT) mice, OPN knockout (KO) mice were resistant to antibody-mediated PMN-dependent TRALI induction. Administration of purified OPN to the OPN KO mice, however, restored the TRALI response and pulmonary PMN accumulation. Alternatively, blockade of OPN in WT mice using an anti-OPN antibody prevented the onset of TRALI induction. Using pulmonary immunohistochemistry, OPN could be specifically detected in the lungs of mice that suffered from TRALI. The OPN-mediated TRALI response seemed dependent on macrophages, likely the cellular source of OPN and OPN polymerization, and independent from the OPN receptor CD44, interleukin 6 (IL-6), and other PMN chemoattractants including macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2). These data indicate that OPN is critically required for induction of antibody-mediated murine TRALI through localization to the lungs and stimulation of pulmonary PMN recruitment. This suggests that anti-OPN antibody therapy may be a potential therapeutic strategy to explore in TRALI patients.