Neutrophil antigen exposure is altered with age in relatives of patients with Type 2 diabetes

Excerpt

To the Editor: Neutrophil dysfunction contributes to the pathogenesis of the vascular complications of Type 2 diabetes. Adhesion of neutrophils to the vascular endothelium is mediated by surface exposure of the β₂ integrin CD11b/CD18, which is closely associated with the actin cytoskeleton [1]. We have shown that neutrophils respond to activation with phorbol ester by rapidly increasing surface expression of CD11b, followed by loss of surface CD11b in a proportion of cells [2]. Loss of surface CD11b in response to phorbol ester is associated with actin polymerisation and leads to loss of neutrophil adherence [3]. In Type 2 diabetes both the proportion of neutrophils polymerising actin and losing CD11b and the proportion of cells exocytosing primary granules (an important step in microbial killing and identified as surface exposure of the antigen CD69) is reduced [2]. …