Human monocyte adherence measured by the nylon fibre microcolumn technique.

A simple rapid method for the measurement of human monocyte adherence using nylon fibre microcolumns is described. The kinetics indicate the optimal contact time to be 30 min for monocytes, compared with 10 min for neutrophils. The optimal temperature is 37 degrees C; significantly low values were obtained for 4 degrees C and 45 degrees C, while intermediate values were obtained for 25 degrees C. Monocyte adherence was more sensitive to inhibition by fluoride than cyanide, suggesting that energy for adherence is mainly derived from the glycolytic pathway. The addition of phorbol myristate acetate enhances monocyte adherence. Significant decay in monocyte adherence occurred after isolation from whole blood for 24 h or longer.