Evidence That Fibrinogen Inhibits Leukocyte Adhesion to Fibrin Clot and Immobilized Fibrinogen by Binding to the Substrate but Not to Integrins.

The recruitment of phagocytic leukocytes to sites of injured vessel wall plays an important role in thrombus remodeling during normal vascular repair and in the pathophysiology of thrombosis. Fibrin and fibrinogen, present in the thrombus, are potent adhesive substrates for neutrophils and monocytes. They support cellular attachment by binding cell surface receptors that belong to the β₂ subfamily of integrins. Adhesive interactions of neutrophils and monocytes with polymerized fibrin and insoluble fibrinogen matrix in vivo occur in the presence of high concentrations of circulating plasma fibrinogen (~2–4 mg/ml). One important property of fibrinogen that would have a major bearing on leukocyte adhesion is its capacity to form complexes with fibrin. Therefore, by virtue of its binding to the fibrin clot and/or immobilized fibrinogen, soluble plasma fibrinogen can influence leukocyte adhesion to these substrates. In this study, the possibility that soluble fibrinogen could protect fibrin from adhesion of leukocytes was examined. Fibrinogen was an efficient inhibitor of adhesion of U937 monocytoid cells and neutrophils to fibrin gel and immobilized fibrin(ogen). An investigation of the mechanism by which fibrinogen exerts its influence on leukocyte adhesion indicated that it did not block integrins but rather associated non-covalently and weakly with fibrin(ogen) substrates. Consequently, leukocyte integrins that engage fibrinogen molecules loosely bound to the fibrin(ogen) matrix are not able to consolidate their grip on the substrate; subsequently, cells detach. This conclusion is based on the evidence obtained in adhesion studies using various β₂-integrin bearing cells and performed under static and flow conditions. Furthermore, surface plasmon resonance studies, undertaken to determine the Kd of fibrinogen-fibrin interactions under flow conditions, indicated that fibrinogen formed complexes with fibrin(ogen) with micromolar affinities. Thus, these findings reveal a new role of fibrinogen in integrin-mediated leukocyte adhesion. They also imply that the anti-adhesive effect of fibrinogen may protect the thrombus from an excessive leukocyte accumulation and premature dissolution at the early stages of wound healing when hemostatic plug integrity is critical for preventing blood loss.