Expression of CD54, CD58, CD14, and HLA-DR on macrophages and macrophage-derived accessory cells and their accessory capacity.

Human peripheral monocytes can differentiate in vitro into macrophages (Mph) possessing a low accessory activity in T cell stimulation. Mph can be converted into a state of high accessory activity by treatment with dibutyryl cyclic AMP. This finding was used in this study to achieve Mph-derived AC (MphAC). Among the surface antigens on AC which have been shown to participate in accessory events leading to T cell proliferation, MHC class II antigens, CD58 (LFA-3) and CD54 (ICAM-1) seem to be especially important. We show here that the high accessory capacity of MphAC was not correlated with a high level of the surface antigens HLA-DR, CD58, and CD54. The amount of CD54 molecules was, in fact, lower on the MphAC than on the Mph.