Poly's lament: the neglected role of the polymorphonuclear neutrophil in the afferent limb of the immune response.

The polymorphonuclear leucocyte (PMN) has traditionally been thought to participate in the inflammatory response only as an effector cell. However, recent data demonstrate that PMNs can synthesize and release cytokines, such as IL-1, TNF-alpha and IL-6, and hence modulate both T- and B-cell activities in the evolution of an immune response.