Histamine and sulfidoleukotriene release from human basophils: different effects of antigen, anti-IgE, C5a, f-Met-Leu-Phe and the novel neutrophil-activating peptide NAF.

Human blood leukocytes were challenged by IgE-dependent stimuli (antigens or anti-IgE antibodies) and the chemotactic agonists C5a, N-formyl-Met-Leu-Phe (fMLP) or NAF, a novel neutrophil-activating peptide produced by stimulated human monocytes. IgE-dependent stimuli induced abundant release of histamine and sulfidoleukotrienes (LTC, LTD and LTE). The effects of the chemotactic peptides differed considerably: C5a induced high percentages of histamine release already at concentrations as low as 10(-9) M, but no leukotriene formation: NAF was completely inactive up to 10(-6)M, and fMLP induced moderate release of both products at relatively high concentration only (1-2.5 x 10(-6) M). All three chemotactic peptides, however, induced a concentration-dependent release of elastase from cytochalasin-B-treated human neutrophils. The EC50 was approximately 0.3, 2 and 5 x 10(-9) M for C5a, NAF and fMLP, respectively. NAF showed activity over a wider concentration range and its dose-response curve was less steep than that of the two other agonists. Our results suggest that NAF, that may be generated at the sites of hypersensitivity reactions, is likely to induced the immigration of neutrophils, but not the direct activation of basophils and mast cells. In this respect, NAF differs from less selective chemotactic peptides like the complement product C5a or the N-formyl-methionyl peptides.