Heterogeneity in responses of human blood monocytes to granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor.
Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) has stimulatory effects on various monocyte functions. We examined whether all or only some blood monocytes could respond to GM-CSF. Monocytes from peripheral blood of healthy donors were separated by size into five fractions by counter-flow centrifugal elutriation (CCE). The phagocytic activities of monocytes in these fractions depended on the size of the cells. On activation by bacteria-derived stimuli, these fractions showed similar responses of production of monokines such as interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and cytotoxicity against allogeneic tumor cells. On treatment of these fractions with optimal concentration of GM-CSF, fractions 3, 4, and 5 showed tumoricidal activity and produced cell-associated IL-1, fraction 3 producing the most, whereas release of IL-1 and TNF in the supernatant was not observed. The cell-associated IL-1 was identified as IL-1 alpha, not IL-1 beta, by neutralizing tests with antisera against IL-1 alpha and IL-1 beta. GM-CSF also induced the proliferative and colony-forming responses of medium and large monocytes. These observations suggest that adoptive therapy with macrophage progenitor cells in peripheral blood may be useful in combination with GM-CSF for treatment of monocytopenia after chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
Third Department of Internal Medicine, University of Tokushima School of Medicine, Japan.
N
N
Inamura
S
S
Sone
A
A
Okubo
S M
SM
Singh
T
T
Ogura
D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002458:Cell Fractionation / Q000379:methods; D002460:Cell Line; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods; D003115:Colony-Stimulating Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D009000:Monocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology
D003115:Colony-Stimulating Factors; D006133:Growth Substances; D007375:Interleukin-1; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor