Group IIA secreted phospholipase A 2 (sPLA 2 -IIA) is the most abundant element in human tissues of a large family of low molecular weight phospholipases A 2 , which shows properties di¡erent from those displayed by the cytosolic phospholipase A 2 involved in the release of arachidonic acid. sPLA 2 -IIA behaves as a ligand for a group of receptors inside the C-type multilectin mannose receptor family and also interacts with heparan sulfate proteoglycans such as glypican, the dermatan/chondroitin sulfate-rich decorin, and the chondroitin sulfate-rich versican, thus being able to internalize to speci¢c compartments within the cell and producing biological responses. This review provides a short summary of the biological actions of sPLA 2 -IIA on intracellular signaling pathways. Phospholipases A 2 (PLA 2 ) are a large family of related enzymes that have been classi¢ed into groups I^XII according to several criteria which include catalysis of the hydrolysis of the sn-2 ester bond of glycerophospholipids, complete protein sequence, existence of homologous enzymes, and ¢nding of active splice variants [1^4]. Group I, II, V, and X PLA 2 are closely related enzymes, which can be collectively termed secreted phospholipases (sPL), are characterized by a low molecular mass of 13^18 kDa, several disul¢de bonds, a requirement for millimolar amounts of Ca 2þ for catalytic activity, and a low selectivity for phospholipids with di¡erent polar heads and fatty acids. They share a common mechanism for cleaving the sn-2 ester bond of phospholipids, involving a catalytic histidine, but show a di¡erent pattern of expression among the di¡erent tissues. Thus, group IIE PLA 2 has been detected in human brain, lung and placenta [5]. Group V sPLA 2 is expressed in human heart and, less abundantly, in lung [6], and group X sPLA 2 is expressed in spleen, thymus and blood leukocytes [7].Group IIA PLA 2 (also known as in£ammatory PLA 2 , sPLA 2 -IIA) has been considered the main human element of the large family of sPLA 2 for several reasons: (i) its early characterization as a secreted enzyme from synovial £uid [8,9]; (ii) its broad expression pattern in human tissues as compared to other elements of group II enzymes [5]; (iii) the induction of its synthesis by endotoxin and cytokines via paracrine and/or autocrine processes during in£ammatory processes of clinical relevance, which have allowed the characterization of this enzyme as a newly recognized acute phase protein [10]; (iv) its potent bactericidal e¡ects, which support a role for this enzyme in the innate immunity against Staphylococcus aureus infection [11]. In this connection, studies intended to address the physiological relevance of sPLA 2 -IIA in vivo have shown that its concentration in plasma may reach V1 Wg/ml after injection of bacteria in experimental animals [12], thus agreeing with the range of concentrations which display antibacterial e¡ects in vitro [13,14].At present, there are several ¢elds where the functional relevance of sPLA 2 -IIA is a subject of activ...