title: Mouse placental macrophages have a decreased ability to present antigen.
abstract: Large numbers of macrophages can be found in an animal's uteroplacental unit. This high concentration of macrophages suggests they must play an important role during placental development. To gain a better understanding of the functional capacity of placental macrophages, we have obtained a highly enriched placental macrophage culture and have derived several cell lines from this population. Both placental macrophages and cell lines show colony-stimulating factor 1-dependent growth, express Fc receptors, and can perform Fc-receptor-mediated phagocytosis. In addition, they express macrophage markers Mac-1, F4/80, and CD14. Although placental macrophages express major histocompatibility complex class II molecules constitutively, they display a decreased ability to present protein antigens to T cells. Since primary fetal liver macrophages of the same gestational stage also show a decreased ability to present antigens, this phenomenon may reflect a developmental stage of macrophages.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset, NY.
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Pollard
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Khalili
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Goyert
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Diamond
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D015415:Biomarkers; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002460:Cell Line; D005260:Female; D005802:Genes, MHC Class II; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology*; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010455:Peptides / Q000276:immunology; D010920:Placenta / Q000166:cytology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D010455:Peptides