Effect of Apoptotic Neutrophils on the Production of Erythropoietin, MMP-9, and TIMP-1 in Cultures of Human Macrophages

We studied the effect of apoptotic neutrophils on the production of erythropoietin, MMP-9, and TIMP-1 by GM-CSF-induced human macrophages. GM-CSF-induced macrophages spontaneously produce erythropoietin and secrete MMP-9 and TIMP-1. Polarization of these macrophages towards the M2-like phenotype after exposure to apoptotic neutrophils considerably increased the production of erythropoietin; the MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio tended to increase under these conditions due to a decrease in TIMP-1.