Atherogenesis involves the migration of leukocytes into vascular subendothelial space, a process mediated by endothelial and leukocyte cell adhesion molecules. Endothelial molecules are assessed indirectly via serum levels, but leukocyte molecules can be assessed directly. We have therefore hypothesized that leukocyte adhesion molecules are altered to a greater degree in hypercholesterolemia th...

Leukocytic inflammation can be limited by inhibiting selectin-dependent leukocyte rolling. In spite of intensive efforts to develop small molecule selectin inhibitors with defined structure-activity profiles, inhibition of P-selectin-dependent leukocyte rolling in vivo by such a compound has yet to be described. We recently reported that glycosulfopeptides (GSP), modeled on the high affinity se...

To study selectin-independent leukocyte recruitment and the role of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), we generated mice lacking all three selectins and ICAM-1 (E/P/L/I-/-) by bone marrow transplantation. These mice were viable and appeared healthy under vivarium conditions, although they showed a 97% reduction in leukocyte rolling, a 63% reduction in leukocyte firm adhesion, and a 99%...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Platelet activation plays a crucial role in the pathophysiology of cerebral ischemia. The aim of this study was to investigate the contribution of platelet activation and leukocyte-platelet interactions to the disease. METHODS One hundred thirty-five patients with transient ischemic attack (TIA) or stroke were enrolled in this single-center study. They underwent cranial...

Several epidemiologic studies have shown the association between total leukocyte count and the risk of developing myocardial infarction. The purpose of this study was to assess the association between the total leukocyte and neutrophil counts and risk factors of ischemic heart disease in 1,384 Japanese factory workers. Total leukocyte and neutrophil counts were significantly higher in current s...

OBJECTIVE To determine the genetic contribution to leukocyte endothelial adhesion. METHODS Leukocyte endothelial adhesion was assessed through a novel cell-based assay using human lymphoblastoid cell lines. A high-throughput screening method was developed to evaluate the inter-individual variability in leukocyte endothelial adhesion using lymphoblastoid cell lines derived from different donor...

In the general population, older age is associated with short leukocyte telomere length and with high risk of infections. In a recent study of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation for severe aplastic anemia, long donor leukocyte telomere length was associated with improved survival in the recipients. These findings suggest that leukocyte telomere length could possibly be a marker of im...