Published in Cancer Detection and Prevention 1995; 19(3):268-273.

Human Alveolar Macrophages: Comparison of Cell Size, Autofluorescence, and HLA-DR Antigen Expression in Smokers and Nonsmokers

Wulf Pankow, M.D.^a, Kurt Neumann, M.D.^b, Josef Ruschoff, M.D.^b, Peter von Wichert, M.D.^a

Address all correspondence and reprint requests to: Wulf Pankow, M.D., Krankenhaus Neukolln, Rudower StraBe 48, 2351 Berlin, Germany

ABSTRACT: To investigate the influence of cigarette smoking on alveolar macrophages (AM) we compared morphologic and immunocytochemic characteristics of bronchoalveolar lavage cells collected from 10 smokers and 8 nonsmokers. AM were studied using single cell fluorescence photometry. AM of smokers were larger in size (p < 0.001), showed stronger autofluorescence (P < 0.001), and expressed fewer HLA-DR antigens (p < 0.001) compared with AM of nonsmokers. AM of smokers were more heterogeneous in respect to cell size, autofluorescence, and HLA-DR antigen expression. HLA-DR antigen density on AM of smokers was independent of cell size and autofluorescence. This suggests that tobacco smoke reduces HLA-DR antigen expression in AM of different maturational states and that this defective expression of HLA class 11 antigens is not dependent on the amount of phagocytosed autofluorescent tobacco particles.

KEY WORDS: alveolar macrophage, smoking, HLA-DR antigens, autofluorescence.

http://www.cancerprev.org/Journal/Issues/19/3/73