EFFECT OF AUTOLOGOUS AND HOMOLOGOUS SERUM AND CIRCULATING IMMUNE-COMPLEXES ON MONOCYTE FUNCTIONS OF PATIENTS WITH SOLID TUMORS

  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 41  (2) , 326-335
Abstract
Some functions of monocytes (phagocytosis, bactericidal capacity, handling of endocytosed 51Cr-SRBC [sheep red blood cells] and chemotaxis) were studied in 50 patients with solid tumors and in 50 controls. In the presence of autologous serum, the catabolism of endocytosed 51Cr-SRBC and the phagocytic capacity were similar in tumor and control monocytes: the bactericidal capacity of tumor monocytes was increased. In the presence of pooled blood group AB sera the catabolism and the bactericidal capacity were decreased in tumor monocytes as compared with autologous serum. Tumor sera did not enhance the functions of normal monocytes. Inactivation of pooled tumor or AB sera resulted in a decrease of bactericidal capacity in tumor and control monocytes. Using the C1q[q fragment of complement component 1]-binding test, circulating immune complexes were detected in 36% of sera. The presence or absence and the quantity of such complexes did not correlate with the different functions studied in either tumor or normal monocytes. The chemotactic activity of monocytes was studied using the migration under agarose technique. No difference was found between tumor and control monocytes. The presence of a chemotactic inhibitor was not revealed in tumor sera. Monocytes from tumor patients probably require factor(s) present in autologous serum and autologous cellular component(s) to achieve normal functions.