Injection of lipopolysaccharide induces the migration of splenic neutrophils to the T cell area of the white pulp: role of CD14 and CXC chemokines.

There is increasing evidence that neutrophils are involved in the regulation of adaptive immunity. We therefore tested whether these cells may colocalize with T lymphocytes in lymphoid organs. Our results demonstrate that administration of the microbial product LPS induces the migration of neutrophils in the spleen from the red pulp and the marginal zone to the area of the white pulp where T cells reside. This movement is CD14-dependent, whereas the recruitment of neutrophils in the peritoneal cavity is increased in the absence of CD14. Our data further suggest the involvement of the chemokine MIP-2 and keratinocyte-derived chemokine and their receptor CXCR2. We conclude that neutrophils may interact with naïve T cells upon infection/inflammation and that the migration of neutrophils in the lymphoid organs and in the periphery is regulated differently by a signal transduced by CD14.