title: Macrophage mediated tumor cell destruction measured by an alkaline phosphatase assay.
abstract: A new assay to measure the cytotoxic or growth-inhibitory activity of macrophages against tumor cells is described. The method is based on the fact that, in contrast to macrophages, natural killer cells or cytotoxic lymphocytes, a variety of tumor cells have a very high content of alkaline phosphatase. The strong linearity between tumor cell number and alkaline phosphatase activity in the cultures permits evaluation of macrophage function with standard ELISA equipment.
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck-Institut für Immunbiologie, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Modolell
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Munder
mesh_terms: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D000818:Animals; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase