Characterization of immune inducer and suppressor macrophages from the normal human lung.

Monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) that are able to discriminate between dendritic cells (MoAb RFD1+) and mature macrophages (MoAb RFD7+) in normal tissues were used in combination with density separation techniques to isolate relatively homogeneous subpopulations of macrophages from human bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). A characterization of surface antigen expression, and functional capacity was then carried out on each isolated alveolar macrophage (AM) subset. One population with the phenotype RFD1+RFD7- obtained from the non-adherent cell pool showed the characteristics of antigen-presenting cells having absent or poor expression of Fc and C3b receptors, a low content of lysozomal hydrolase and poor phagocytic capacity. This population strongly stimulated T lymphocytes in allogeneic mixed lymphocyte reactions (MLR). A second AM population, isolated by adherence and density centrifugation expressed the phenotype RFD1+RFD7+. These cells showed the same phenotypic characteristics of mature macrophages with strong expression of C3b and Fc receptors, and marked phagocytic capacity. Such AM were very poor stimulators of allogeneic MLR. Under certain circumstances the RFD1+RFD7+ cells were shown to actively repress the stimulatory capacity of the RFD1+RFD7- subpopulation. These results suggest that variations within the functional capacity of AM subsets may be capable of influencing the strength of acquired T cell immune responses of the lung.