IMMUNE PHAGOCYTOSIS OF PLASMODIUM-YOELII-INFECTED ERYTHROCYTES BY MACROPHAGES AND EOSINOPHILS

  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 42  (1) , 114-120
Abstract
Unstimulated peritoneal cells from C57Bl mice were allowed to phagocytose in vitro different mixtures of Percoll-separated parasitized and non-parasitized erythrocytes (PE and NPE) from the blood of mice infected with P. yoelii in the presence of immune and normal serum. Immune serum caused a significant enhancement of phagocytosis and the number of PE adhering to and/or ingested by 100 macrophages and the number of the latter cells engaged in phagocytosis was increased. The effect of immune serum was more marked when the ratio of PE/macrophages was 5-40/1, but was less at a ratio of 80/1, when considered phagocytosis of PE occurred in the presence of normal serum. From 83-100% of the phagocytosed cells were parasitized erythrocytes, even when the ratio of PE/NPE was as low as 1/15. In the system used, macrophages were unable to discriminate between non-parasitized erythrocytes from infected mice and normal erythrocytes. Eosinophils also engaged in phagocytosis of parasitized erythrocytes. There activity was entirely dependent on immune serum and was never directed against non-parasitized red blood cells.