The reticuloendothelial system and macrophage-monocyte system in thorotrast patients.
To evaluate the function of the reticuloendothelial system and macrophage-monocyte system, blood samples from Thorotrast patients and age-matched healthy controls were used to determine the titer of plasma antibodies to lipid A and the numbers of several lymphocyte subclasses in peripheral blood and for an autoradiographic study of peripheral blood monocytes. The titer of plasma IgM class antibodies to lipid A was significantly elevated in the Thorotrast patients. Counts of CD 11-positive lymphocytes and CD 57-positive lymphocytes, which correspond to monocytes and natural killer cells, respectively, were significantly increased in the Thorotrast patients. Autoradiography showed that alpha-particle tracks were emitted from the monocytes isolated from the peripheral blood of Thorotrast patients. Thus the depressed function of the reticuloendothelial system resulted in the activation of the macrophage-monocyte system in the Thorotrast patients.
Abe
H
H
Department of Internal Medicine, Fukuoka Prefectural Asakura Hospital, Raiharu 422, Amagi 838-0069, Japan.
Kawahara
T
T
Gondou
K
K
Sakisaka
S
S
Sata
M
M
D000368:Aged; D001345:Autoradiography; D018845:CD11 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D018959:CD57 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008050:Lipid A / Q000276:immunology; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000528:radiation effects*; D012157:Mononuclear Phagocyte System / Q000528:radiation effects*; D013911:Thorium Dioxide / Q000009:adverse effects*
D018845:CD11 Antigens; D018959:CD57 Antigens; D008050:Lipid A; D013911:Thorium Dioxide