Shifts in macrophage (M phi) surface phenotypes during tumor growth: association of Mac-2+ and Mac-3+ M phi with immunosuppressive activity.

Rat anti-mouse monoclonal antibodies (mAb), anti-Mac-1, -2, and -3, directed against macrophage (M phi) glycoprotein surface antigens, were used to demonstrate a tumor-induced shift in peritoneal M phi subpopulations. This study of the tumor-induced shift was approached in two steps. First, to show that separate phenotypic M phi subpopulations existed and second, to show that a shift in these populations was involved in immunosuppression of the host during tumor growth. Endogenous peroxidase activity was examined among normal and tumor-bearing host (TBH) M phi. A significant increase in the number of peroxidase-positive M phi occurred during tumor growth. Indirect immunofluorescence showed a decrease in Mac-2+ cells and an increase in Mac-3+ cells in TBH M phi populations. When the mAb, anti-Mac-1,-2, and -3 were used in the presence of complement (C), they were cytotoxic for M phi and showed differential depletion of normal and TBH M phi. Peroxidase-positive TBH M phi were susceptible to C-mediated lysis by anti-Mac-1 and -3 but not by anti-Mac-2, whereas no direct relationship was observed among normal host M phi. To demonstrate differences between normal and TBH M phi subpopulations, soluble inhibitory factors were examined from mAb plus C-modified M phi populations. Anti-Mac plus C-treated normal and TBH M phi produced supernatants with different regulatory capabilities as assessed in the mixed-lymphocyte reaction (MLR). Anti-Mac-2 plus C treatment significantly reduced the ability of TBH M phi to produce a soluble suppressor(s) but did not alter normal host M phi-derived suppressor production. In contrast, anti-Mac-1 and -3 plus C treatment of normal host M phi significantly reduced suppressor production. In the TBH, however, anti-Mac-1 plus C had no effect, while anti-Mac-3 plus C had only a limited reduction as compared to the normal host. Determination of levels of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in M phi supernatants showed that normal host Mac-1+ M phi were involved in down regulation of PGE2 production. This control was missing in the TBH M phi. Mac-2+ M phi were the apparent producers of PGE2 which accounts for the factor-mediated MLR suppression attributed to TBH Mac-2+ M phi. Collectively, these data suggest that tumor-induced aberrations in immunoregulation can in part be attributed to differences in anti-Mac mAb-defined M phi subpopulations.