The pulmonary macrophages of human smokers: decreased surface Fc receptor concentrations on heavily particle-laden cells.
1 Human pulmonary macrophages (PM) have been obtained by broncho-pulmonary lavage from smokers and non-smokers. Smokers' PM tend to be larger cells with more particulate intracytoplasmic inclusions than non-smokers' cells. 2 Electronmicrographs show that the majority of inclusions are electron dense and within lysosomes. Other lysosomal inclusions in smokers' PM are needle-like structures and lamellar bodies. 3 A rosette assay that detects changes in surface Fc receptor expression was used to compare the Fc receptor expression of a PM subgroup that was heavily particle laden with a 'clean' PM subgroup. 4 There is strong evidence for reduced surface Fc receptor expression in heavily particle laden PM. The possible explanations of this difference are discussed.
D006801:Humans; D002479:Inclusion Bodies / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D011961:Receptors, Fc / Q000032:analysis*; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*
D011961:Receptors, Fc