SYNOVIAL AND PERITONEAL-MACROPHAGES IN ORGANOID CULTURE

Cultivation of macrophages and their progenitors has been very useful for elucidation of function, behaviour and morphology of these eels. T he purpose of this contribution is to describe a new in vitro system ( organoid, high density or micromass culture) which proved to be conven ient for cultivation of macrophages derived from human synovial fluid and tissue and mouse peritoneal fluid. Using this method, highly diffe rentiated and functionally active macrophages of marked purity and lon g maintenance (up to 2 weeks) could be obtained even after previous cu ltivation and subcultivation in monolayer culture. The macrophages wer e identified by electron microscopy and immunomorphology using HLA-DR- DP, CD-68 (markers for human macrophages), anti-human-polymorphonuclea r leukocyte-gelatinase and F4/80 (a mouse macrophage surface marker). The significance of this method as a research tool in the study of car tilage degradation by macrophages in co-cultures is stressed.