Phagocytosis by lipopolysaccharide-primed human neutrophils is associated with increased extracellular release of reactive oxygen metabolites.

The effect of priming human neutrophils with lipopolysaccharide was investigated regarding the respiratory burst activity generated during phagocytosis of IgG- or C3b-opsonized yeast particles. LPS pretreatment significantly enhanced the respiratory burst activity, measured as luminol-amplified chemiluminescence, of both types of opsonized particles. In control cells most of the activity was produced intracellularly, probably in the phagosomes. In the primed cells, however, extracellular release of reactive oxygen metabolites was significantly increased during Fc- and CR3-mediated phagocytosis (P less than 0.01 and P less than 0.002, respectively). The release was most pronounced when using C3b-opsonized particles. Potent oxygen metabolites acting together with lysosomal enzymes are of importance in inflammatory-induced tissue damage. An increased extracellular release of reactive oxygen species by phagocytizing primed neutrophils can therefore lead to greater damage to the surrounding tissues.