Influence of Tumour Necrosis Factor‐α on the Expression of Fc IgG and IgA Receptors, and Other Markers by Cultured Human Blood Monocytes and U937 Cells

Abstract
The expression of Fc receptors for IgG (FcγR) and IgA (FcαR) and of various other antigens on the human monocytic cell line U937 and peripheral blood monocytes, under stimulation with human recombinant tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and other cytokines, was investigated by flow cytomelry. TNF-α, as well as interferon-γ (IFN-γ) or interleukin-6 (IL-6) had a significant up-regulating effect on U937 expression of FcγRI/CD64. Furthermore, the action of TNF-α was augmented by IL-6, and more evidently by IFN-γ. IFN-α alone had only a marginal effect, but was able to increase the TNF-α-driven FcγRI expression. In contrast to U937 cells, TNF-α did not enhance significantly FcγRI expression on human monocytes. Interestingly, on both U937 cells and monocytes. FcαR was augmented markedly by TNF-α. Furthermore, TNF-α induced the expression of HLA-DR and HLA-DP antigens on monocytes and U937 cells. The expression of FcγRII/CD32, FcγRIII/CD16. CD14, complement receptor type 1 (CR1/CD35). CR4 (CD11c/CD18), and MHC class-I antigens, was not influenced significantly by TNF-α. The results of this study show that TNF-α may act on human mononuclear phagocytes, alone or in combination with other cytokines, by modulating the expression of various cell-surface antigens.

This publication has 30 references indexed in Scilit: