Chemokine and chemokine receptor mRNA expression in human platelets.

In order to study the role of platelets in inflammation we constructed a cDNA library from human platelet mRNA. By polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of the library we have shown that platelets express mRNAs for the following chemokines: connective tissue activating peptide-III (CTAP-III), epithelial-derived neutrophil activating factor-78 (ENA-78), RANTES and monocyte chemotactic protein-3 (MCP-3). Platelets also express mRNAs for interleukin 8 receptor A (IL-8RA) and a novel chemokine receptor K5.5. These results suggest that chemokines may not only play an important role in platelet activation but can also influence the nature of the leukocyte infiltrate to sites of inflammation and infection, by the production of multiple chemokines with overlapping specificities.