[Plasma macrophage colony-stimulating factor level and changes of monocyte subpopulations in chronic renal failure patients treated with hemodialysis].

This study was carried out on 52 hemodialysis (HD) patients. The concentrations of macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) in plasma and dialysate were measured by ELISA. Plasma M-CSF level increased in HD patients. M-CSF levels of dialysate were under the detection limit. The monocyte subpopulations were studied using double staining of CD14 and CD16 by flow cytometry. The percentage and absolute number of CD14+/CD16+ cells were much higher in HD patients (p < 0.001, respectively, Mann-Whitney U-test). A new subpopulation of blood monocyte, CD14+/CD16+, has been identified which possesses the features of tissue macrophage. The elevations of this subpopulation were also reported under some pathological conditions, and in subject treated with recombinant M-CSF. HD is the pathological condition which induces the increase in plasma M-CSF as well as change of monocyte subpopulation.