Macrophage-like cell lines: endogenous peroxidatic activity, cell surface antigens, and colony-stimulating factor production.

The murine macrophage-like cells NCTC 1469, J774A, WEHI-3, IC21, and P388D1, were compared with respect to their peroxidatic activity, display of cell surface antigens, and production of colony-stimulating factor. Peroxidatic activity was demonstrated in the nuclear envelope and in the cisternae of the rough endoplasmic reticulum of NCTC 1469 cells, J774A cells, and P388D1 cells, and in granules of WEHI-3 cells and IC21 cells. Colony-stimulating factor was produced only by WEHI-3 cells. NCTC 1469 and IC21 cells had a weak expression of M1/69 and Mac-1 antigens, whereas P388D1 cells expressed these antigens at a high level. WEHI-3 cells expressed M1/69 at a high level and Mac-1 at a low level, whereas J774A cells had an opposite expression T 200, Pgp-1, and ThB antigens were expressed at different levels by the various cell lines, without overt correlation among themselves or with the expression of M1/69 or Mac-1 antigens. These data suggest that macrophage-like cell lines cannot be placed in a maturation/differentiation lineage.