Lectin binding and surface glycoprotein pattern of human macrophage populations.

In the present study unstimulated and stimulated human blood monocytes, untreated and phorbol ester treated U-937 cells, as well as human peritoneal and alveolar macrophages were studied with respect to their surface membrane properties. Binding of different lectins and electrophoretic patterns of tritium labeled surface glycoproteins were compared. The analysis of surface glycoproteins could be interpreted as evidence for a common origin of the analysed cell populations. Furthermore, banding patterns of glycoproteins might be useful to define certain activation states within monocyte/macrophage differentiation. In contrast, lectin binding pattern did not clearly discriminate macrophage subpopulations.