Sequential binding of CD11a/CD18 and CD11b/CD18 defines neutrophil capture and stable adhesion to intercellular adhesion molecule-1

The relative contributions of CD11a/CD18 and CD11b/CD18 to the dynamics and strength of neutrophil adhesion to intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1-transfected cells were examined over the time course of chemotactic stimulation. Suspensions of neutrophils and transfectants were sheared in a cone-plate viscometer, and formation of heterotypic aggregates was measured by 2-color flow cytometry. The 2-body collision theory was used to compute adhesion efficiency, defined as the proportion of collisions between neutrophils and target cells that resulted in capture. ICAM-1 surface density and shear rate both regulated adhesion efficiency. Target cells expressing approximately 1000 ICAM-1 sites/microm(2) (I(low)) were captured with an efficiency of 0.15 at 100 s(-1), which decreased to zero at 300 s(-1). At 8-fold higher ICAM-1 expression (I(high)) corresponding to levels measured on interleukin-1-stimulated endothelium, efficiency was 0.3 at 100 s(-1) and remained above background to 900 s(-1). Shear alone was sufficient for CD11a/CD18-mediated adhesion to ICAM-1, and stimulation with formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine boosted capture efficiency through CD11a/CD18 by 4-fold. In comparison, CD11b/CD18 supported one third of this efficiency, but was necessary for aggregate stability over several minutes of shear and at shear stresses exceeding 5 dyne/cm(2). Hydrodynamics influenced capture efficiency predominantly through the collisional contact duration, predicted to be approximately 9 milliseconds for successful capture of I(low) and 4 milliseconds for I(high). The implication is that an increase in ICAM-1 from resting levels to those on inflamed endothelium effectively increases the permissible shear in which capture through beta(2)-integrins may occur. Neutrophil adhesion to ICAM-1 appears to be a cooperative and sequential process of CD11a-dependent capture followed by CD11b-mediated stabilization.