Cell Biology – Immunology – Pathology
Kidney International (2004) 65, 2172–2183; doi:10.1111/j.1523-1755.2004.00640.x
Membrane proteinase 3 expression and ANCA-induced neutrophil activation
ADRIAN SCHREIBER, FRIEDRICH C LUFT and RALPH KETTRITZ
HELIOS Klinikum-Berlin, Franz Volhard Clinic, and Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Medical Faculty of the Charité, Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany
Correspondence: Ralph Kettritz, M.D., Division of Nephrology, Franz Volhard Clinic, Wiltbergstrasse 50, 13122 Berlin, FRG. E-mail: kettritz@fvk-berlin.de
Received 5 May 2003; Revised 18 September 2003; Re-revised 25 November 2003; Accepted 8 January 2004.
Abstract
Membrane proteinase 3 expression and ANCA-induced neutrophil activation.
Background
Proteinase 3 is the major autoantigen in Wegener's granulomatosis (WG). Membrane PR3 expression is bimodal; low expressing cells (mPR3low) can be distinguished from cells with high expression (mPR3high) within a given individual. High mPR3 expression is a WG risk factor and is associated with relapse. However, no mechanisms for this important clinical observation have been provided. We tested the hypothesis that mPR3 expression, rather than the expression of other membrane molecules implicated in anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies (ANCA) activation, determines the robustness of the PR3-ANCA-mediated response.
Methods
mPR3low and mPR3high neutrophils from a given individual were separated by magnetic cell sorting. Superoxide was measured by the ferricytochrome assay, and Akt phosphorylation by Western blotting. Double staining and flow cytometry were used to assay Fc
-receptor and 
2-integrin expression with respect to the mPR3 phenotype. Degranulation was measured via -glucuronidase activity, migration with fibronectin-coated transwells, and cell quantification by the myeloperoxidase (MPO) assay.
Results
PR3-ANCA-treated mPR3high versus mPR3low neutrophils showed more superoxide generation (33.7 
15.2 nmol O2- to 14.6 8.4, P < 0.01), more degranulation (29% 5 to 22% 3, P < 0.05), and more PI3-K/Akt activation. In contrast, all responses in both mPR3 subsets were similar after other stimuli. We observed no differences in the 2-integrin, FcR IIa, and III expression with respect to the mPR3 subtype. Furthermore, we found no differences in the mobilization of PR3-containing granules and no differences in migration through fibronectin.
Conclusion
The degree of neutrophil mPR3 expression has definitive functional consequences.
Keywords:
neutrophils, ANCA, superoxide, signal transduction, PR3
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