Analysis of selected blood and immune cell responses to carbohydrate-dependent surface binding of proto- and chimera-type galectins.

Cell surface glycans present docking sites to endogenous lectins. With growing insight into the diversity of lectin families it becomes important to answer the question on the activity profiles of individual family members. Focusing on galectins (beta-galactoside-binding proteins without Ca(2+)-requirement sharing the jelly-roll-like folding pattern), this study was performed to assess the potency of proto-type galectins (galectins-1 and -7 and CG-16) and the chimera-type galectin-3 to elicit selected cell responses by carbohydrate-dependent surface binding and compare the results.

Phagocytosing neutrophils down-regulate the expression of chemokine receptors CXCR1 and CXCR2.

CXC chemokines play a central role in regulation of neutrophil activation and chemotaxis. Because the chemotactic responses of neutrophils are impaired after phagocytosis, we explored the effect of phagocytic stimuli on the expression of interleukin-8 (IL-8) receptors, CXCR1 and CXCR2, in human neutrophils. After phagocytosis of opsonized yeast, the expression of CXCR1 and CXCR2 was substantially down-regulated and was accompanied by reduced Ca(++) responses to corresponding ligands, IL-8 and neutrophil-activating peptide-2 (NAP-2).

Presentation of NO-metabolites (nitrate/nitrite) in blood serum and pleural effusions from cancer patients with pleurisy.

To assess whether cancer-induced pleurisy is associated with an alteration of nitric oxide (NO)-synthase activity, the levels of nitrate/nitrite (NOx) were measured in blood serum (BS) and pleural effusion (PE) of 35 cancer patients (secondary pleural metastases and mesotheliomas), eight patients with benign lung diseases, and in BS of nine healthy donors. It was found that (1) BS of patients with secondary pleural metastases had an elevated level (P<0.015) of NOx (59.