CD40 ligand on activated platelets triggers an inflammatory reaction of endothelial cells

Item Type:	Article
Title:	CD40 ligand on activated platelets triggers an inflammatory reaction of endothelial cells
Creators Name:	Henn, V. and Slupsky, J.R. and Graefe, M. and Anagnostopoulos, I. and Foerster, R. and Mueller-Berghaus, G. and Kroczek, R.A.
Abstract:	CD40 ligand (CD40L, CD154), a transmembrane protein structurally related to the cytokine TNF-alpha, was originally identified on stimulated CD4+ T cells, and later on stimulated mast cells and basophils. Interaction of CD40L on T cells with CD40 on B cells is of paramount importance for the development and function of the humoral immune system. CD40 is not only constitutively present on B cells, but it is also found on monocytes, macrophages and endothelial cells, suggesting that CD40L has a broader function in vivo. We now report that platelets express CD40L within seconds of activation in vitro and in the process of thrombus formation in vivo. Like TNF-alpha and interleukin-1, CD40L on platelets induces endothelial cells to secrete chemokines and to express adhesion molecules, thereby generating signals for the recruitment and extravasation of leukocytes at the site of injury. Our results indicate that platelets are not only involved in haemostasis but that they also directly initiate an inflammatory response of the vessel wall.
Keywords:	Blood Platelets, CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes, CD40 Antigens, CD40 Ligand, Cell Adhesion Molecules, Cultured Cells, Flow Cytometry, Inflammation Mediators, Membrane Glycoproteins, Platelet Activation, Thrombosis, Vascular Endothelium, Vasculitis
Source:	Nature
ISSN:	0028-0836
Publisher:	Nature Publishing Group
Volume:	391
Number:	667
Page Range:	591-594
Date:	1 January 1998
Official Publication:	https://doi.org/10.1038/35393
PubMed:	View item in PubMed

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