In vivo assessment of phagocytic properties of Kupffer cells.

Three-compartment analysis was used to assess the kinetics of phagocytosis of Tc-99m-labeled human serum albumin microparticles (Tc-99m HSA-MM) in human Kupffer cells in vivo. The tracer turnover in these phagocytic cells could be described by a monoexponential accumulation with a two-stage elimination phase. Three-compartment analysis of the Tc-99m HSA-MM kinetics allowed us to quantify tracer attachment, phagocytosis, and degradation in Kupffer cells. The calculated time course of phagocytosis in ten control subjects proved to be identical to that of phagocytosis of various test substances in mouse macrophage monolayers (1). In addition, an impairment of particle turnover at the macrophage membrane, a significantly diminished (p less than 0.01) phagocytosis rate of the tracer, was observed in ten patients with various tumors.