Protein tyrosine phosphorylation mediates TNF-induced endothelial-neutrophil adhesion in vitro

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is an inflammatory cytokine that upregulates the expression of adhesion molecules at the luminal surface of endothelium. Treatment of cultures of human aortic endothelial cells with TNF-alpha induced the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 and E-selectin and the adhesion of neutrophils. Protein kinase inhibition studies revealed that signal transduction is mediated by a tyrosine kinase.