Diminished lectin-, epidermal growth factor-, complement binding domain-cell adhesion molecule-1 on neonatal neutrophils underlies their impaired CD18-independent adhesion to endothelial cells in vitro.

To define further the molecular basis for abnormal interactions of cord blood or neonatal neutrophils with endothelial cells in vitro, we studied neutrophil adhesion and migration under experimental conditions specifically designed to evaluate CD18-independent mechanisms. Unstimulated cord blood neutrophils of healthy term neonates demonstrated significantly diminished adhesion to IL-1-stimulated endothelial cell monolayers under conditions of shear stress (congruent to 1.85 dynes/cm2); overall levels of migration by neonatal cells were also significantly diminished, although the adherent subpopulation of these cells migrated relatively normally. A mAb (DREG-56) against the human homologue of the murine MEL-14 antigen (termed lectin-, epidermal growth factor-, complement binding domain-cell adhesion molecule-1 (LECAM-1), a member of the LEC-CAM family of adhesion molecules) markedly inhibited adhesion of healthy adult but not cord blood neutrophils. In additional assessments of endothelial cell adhesion or migration in the absence of shear forces, cord blood neutrophils demonstrated significantly diminished values compared to adult controls. Moreover, mAb DREG-56 significantly diminished adhesion of healthy adult but not cord blood suspensions in the presence or absence of the anti-CD18 mAb R15.7. Immunofluorescence assessments of unstimulated cord blood neutrophils or neutrophils of neonates 12 to 48 h of age showed dramatically diminished levels of surface LECAM-1 compared to adult neutrophils. Chemotactic stimuli (FMLP, 10 nM, 15 min) consistently "down-regulated" surface LECAM-1 on adult neutrophils to levels approximately 10% of unstimulated suspensions and comparable to those of most unstimulated neonatal suspensions. Moreover, FMLP stimuli elicited little or no down-regulation of LECAM-1 on neonatal cells. In comparative studies, endothelial cell adhesion of unstimulated cord blood or adult control neutrophils (assessed under conditions of flow) was directly related to levels of neutrophil surface LECAM-1. Although FMLP stimulation significantly diminished both adhesion and LECAM-1 surface levels of adult control cells, the adhesion and LECAM-1 expression observed with cord blood cells were not significantly influenced by this stimulus. The mechanisms underlying diminished LECAM-1 expression and LECAM-1-dependent adhesion of neonatal neutrophils and the physiologic significance of these abnormalities deserve investigation.