ADHESION PROPERTIES OF HUMAN ALVEOLAR MACROPHAGES WITH RESPECT TO EXTRACELLULAR-MATRIX COMPONENTS AND CHEMOTACTIC AGONISTS

Adherence has an essential impact on the differentiation and activatio n of tissue dwelling monocytes/macrophages. We have considered the eff ect of selected chemotactic agonists (fMLP, RANTES, IL-8) on the adhes ion properties of human alveolar macrophages prepared by bronchoalveol ar lavage. The macrophages were co-incubated in buffer alone or buffer supplemented with respective agonist, for different time points, in c ulture wells precoated with albumin, vitronectin and fibronectin, resp ectively. The macrophages displayed a gradual increase in adhesion to all three surfaces and discriminated between the different matrix comp onents, but did not respond to the selected agonists with increased ad hesion.