Chelation of Free Zn²⁺ Impairs Chemotaxis, Phagocytosis, Oxidative Burst, Degranulation, and Cytokine Production by Neutrophil Granulocytes.

Neutrophil granulocytes are the largest leukocyte population in the blood and major players in the innate immune response. Impaired neutrophil function has been reported in in vivo studies with zinc-deficient human subjects and experimental animals. Moreover, in vitro formation of neutrophil extracellular traps has been shown to depend on free intracellular Zn(2+).

Zinc signals in neutrophil granulocytes are required for the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps.

Zinc signals, i.e. changes in the free intracellular Zn(2+)concentration, are an integral component of signal transduction in several immune cells.

Impact of perfluorooctanesulfonate and perfluorooctanoic acid on human peripheral leukocytes.

Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), such as perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), are xenobiotics that can be detected worldwide in the environment, wildlife, and humans. So far, the immunotoxicity of PFCs has only been investigated in rodents, but not in humans. In this study, we explore the impact of PFOS and PFOA on selected functions of human leukocytes in vitro.