title: Effect of culture conditions on the phenotype of THP-1 monocyte cell line.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Macrophage function has many implications in a variety of diseases. Understanding their biology becomes imperative when trying to elucidate immune cell interactions with their environment, and in vitro cell lines allow researchers to manipulate these interactions. A common cell line used is THP-1, a promyeloid cell line suggestive to outside factors, and therefore sensitive to culture conditions. In this study, we describe how culture conditions can alter THP-1 morphology and in turn affect their response to differentiation stimuli.
  
  
  METHODS
  THP-1 cells were cultured in two conditions and treated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) or MCSF. CD14 surface expression was determined by flow cytometry and cytokine/chemokine production determined by multiplex analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Culture conditions of THP-1 affect their response to PMA. Highly confluent THP-1 cells differentiate into a heterogeneous population responsive to PMA as seen by an increase in CD14 expression. However, these cells, cultured in low confluence, remain as a homogenous population and do not gain CD14. Additionally, there are major differences in the constitutive cytokine profile.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We demonstrate that the culture conditions of THP-1 cells can alter their response PMA. This suggests that culture techniques may account for the discrepancy in the literature of both basal THP-1 phenotype and their response to PMA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics Gynecology and Reproductive Science, Reproductive Immunology Unit, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
authors.forename: Paulomi B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Aldo
authors.forename: Vinicius
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Craveiro
authors.forename: Seth
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guller
authors.forename: Gil
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mor
mesh_terms: D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002460:Cell Line; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors / Q000378:metabolism; D016173:Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D009000:Monocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors; D016173:Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate