Expression of B and T lymphocyte receptors has been studied in seven cases of reticulum cell sarcoma. In one case, surface receptors and tests of phagocytic function demonstrated the histiocytic origin of the neoplastic cells. In four cases, tumour cells expressed both B and T lymphocyte markers (two cases) or showed a normal pattern of expression of B and T lymphocyte markers. In the other two...

OBJECTIVE General anesthesia has been considered an independent risk factor for postcesarean infection, but the mechanism for this association has not been delineated. The purpose of this prospective investigation was to determine if phagocytic response of neutrophils was impaired by in vitro exposure to isoflurane, a commonly used anesthetic. METHODS Twelve milliliter venous blood samples we...

Phagocytic function of the reticuloendothelial system as measured by the clearance of (125)I-labeled aggregated human serum albumin (AA) was studied in patients with Hodgkin's disease. Each more advanced stage of the disease was associated with more rapid clearance of the AA. Production of remission by radiation therapy or by chemotherapy was associated in some patients with slowing of the clea...

Patients with defects in phagocytic function are predisposed to intracellular microorganisms and typically have early dissemination of the infection. Recognition of the underlying disorder and aggressive antimicrobial therapy has been beneficial for the patients. Improved understanding of the pathophysiology has also affected patient management by allowing specific, targeted immunomodulatory in...

In this issue of Blood, Das et al assign a very novel and unanticipated function to plasminogen by showing that it is an enhancer of the phagocytic function of macrophages.

The phagocytic clearance of apoptotic cells is critical for tissue homeostasis; a number of non-professional phagocytic cells, including epithelial cells, can both take up and process apoptotic bodies, including the release of anti-inflammatory mediators. These observations are particularly important in the case of human intrahepatic biliary cells (HiBEC), because such cells are themselves a ta...

To evaluate the biological effect of ceramic fibres on the clearance function of alveolar macrophages (AMs) morphological changes and phagocytic activity of AMs were assessed. Rats were exposed to respirable ceramic fibres with a mass median aerodynamic diameter of 4.4 microns and a concentration of 20.1 mg/m3 in an exposure chamber. They were killed after one week (group A) and two weeks (grou...

OBJECTIVES To assess the viability and induction of immunotolerance of nonvascularized splenic alloimplants. The phagocytic functions of splenic implants also were studied. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty-six adult female New Zealand and California rabbits were used, and these animals were divided into the following 5 groups: (n = 6 / groups 1-4) group 1 (sham operations); group 2 (total splenec...