STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF HUMAN EFFUSION MACROPHAGES FROM PATIENTS WITH MALIGNANT AND BENIGN DISEASE

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Abstract
The inflammatory cell composition of pleural or ascitic efflusion fluids from 13 patients with malignant disease and 8 patients with benign disease was analyzed. The macrophage content in the effusions was 4.1 .times. 105 .+-. 1.3 cells/ml (mean .+-. SEM), with large variation (range 0.1-27.9 .times. 105 cells/ml) among patients. Major blood cell contamination was excluded by the finding of low red blood cell/nucleated cell ratios in the effusions. Effusion macrophages were isolated by Ficoll/Isopaque centrifugation and plastic adherence. Monolayers of > 90% .alpha.-napthyl-esterase-positive and/or phagocytic cells were produced in most experiments. Adherent effusion cells incorporated low amounts of methyl-3H-thymidine (methyl-3H-TdR). Most cells in DNA-synthesis were removed by trypsin, indicating that they were not macrophages. Lymphokine supernatants induced increased methyl-3H-TdR incorporation in adherent cells in 3 of 8 experiments, and microscopic proliferation of phagocytic cells was evident in one experiment. Endotoxin and Corynebacterium parvum [Propionibacterium acnes] reduced adherent cell DNA-synthesis slightly. Effusion macrophages ingested more 125I-labeled Candida albicans than peripheral blood monocytes. The ability to degrade ingested Candida and the cell adherence after phagocytosis were greater in macrophages than in monocytes. Effusion macrophages with monocyte-like, undifferentiated appearance differentiated like monocytes in vitro. Further in vitro differentiation of macrophages was more differentiated appearance often seemed to be blocked, the cells dying gradually after 4-8 days in vitro.