Airway macrophage specific expression of a dense glycocalyx and its remodelling following viral infection

The glycocalyx is best studied for its regulation of immune cell trafficking from the vasculature into inflamed tissues. The glycocalyx is composed of a range of glycans and glyco-proteins that form a peri-cellular matrix and its shedding into the blood is observed in a variety of inflammatory conditions, including viral infections. We now report that macrophages express a glycocalyx that is dependent on their anatomical location and the mediators driving their differentiation from monocytes. Furthermore, during inflammatory conditions caused by viral infection, the macrophage glycocalyx is remodelled in complex ways. Overall, our study provides a novel pathway involved in macrophage inflammatory responses, through remodelling of the glycocalyx halo expressed at steady state, and how this is restored in repair, particularly at mucosal tissue sites.