Alveolar and peritoneal macrophages bear three distinct classes of Fc receptors for IgG.

The FcR for IgG on the plasma membrane of cells of the mononuclear phagocyte system mediate a number of different biologic responses such as phagocytosis, pinocytosis, superoxide generation, and antibody-dependent cytotoxicity. In the interest of understanding the pathophysiology of these processes we have begun to characterize the FcR for IgG on two readily available sources of macrophages--the lung and the peritoneum--using antireceptor mAb. We find that all three of the distinct classes of FcR for IgG which have been described in man are present on both pulmonary and peritoneal macrophages. Most monocytes, we suggest, bear low numbers of Fc gamma RIII whereas a small subpopulation of monocytes expresses substantial numbers of Fc gamma RIII. Furthermore, we find that two different forms of Fc gamma RIII differ in their capacity to bind anti-Fc gamma RIII mab 3G8 in the presence of human IgG. Human IgG does not block the binding of mAb 3G8 to neutrophils, but it does block 3G8 binding to macrophages and large granular lymphocytes; this finding correlates with the expression of the two Fc gamma RIII genes, I and II, in man. Studies aimed at illuminating the molecular mechanisms of Fc gamma R-mediated processes in macrophages will require consideration of the receptors of all three classes.