Identification of meningococcal LPS as a major monocyte activator in IL-10 depleted shock plasmas and CSF by blocking the CD14-TLR4 receptor complex

We have examined the in vitro stimulatory effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-containing samples (meningococcal shock plasma, n = 10; non-shock plasma, n = 10; cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), n = 7) before and after immunodepletion of interleukin (IL)-10 in a monocyte target assay. We also studied the stimulatory effects of plasma collected from 3 patients with lethal septicemia caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae without detectable LPS but with 100-fold increased levels of heat-shock protein 70 (HSP70). HSP70 may, like LPS, activate monocytes via the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). The samples were analyzed for LPS, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)- alpha , IL-10 and HSP70; applied on human monocytes (purity > 95%) before and after IL-10 immunodepletion, in the absence or presence of CD14 blocking mAb (60bca) or the lipid A antagonist, Rhodobacter sphaeroides diphosphoryl lipid A (RsDPLA) which blocks TLR4. Monocyte activation was measured by increased TNF- alpha secretion and tissue factor (TF) up-regulation by monocyte procoagulant activity (PCA). There was a positive correlation between patient plasma LPS levels (n = 10) and increases in TNF- alpha secretion by the monocytes after immunodepletion of IL-10 (r = 0.82). Pretreatment of the monocytes with mAbCD14 or RsDPLA reduced TNF- alpha secretion to median 5% and 12%, respectively, of the levels before the receptor complex was blocked. The median levels of HSP70 were 543 ng/ml (range, 468-962 ng/ml) in pneumococcal shock plasma, 81.5 ng/ml (range, 41-331 ng/ml) in meningococcal shock plasma and 24 ng/ml (range, < 0.8-41 ng/ml) in meningococcal non-shock plasma. Pneumococcal septic shock plasmas with significantly higher levels of HSP70 (P < 0.05) did not induce TNF- alpha secretion in the monocytes. The results strongly suggest that LPS in meningococcal shock plasma is the major activator of monocytes whereas HSP70 (in plasma concentrations up to 963 ng/ml) does not activate monocytes in this assay.