Evaluation of 111In labelled white blood cells by in vitro functional tests and electron microscopy. Comparison of three labelling methods.

We have studied the influence of granulocyte labelling with commercially available 111In-oxine, tropolone (trop) or home made 111In-Mercapto pyridine (Merc) prepared by the method of Thakur (1985) on the cell structure by electron microscopy and on the cell function by enzymatic tests, random migration, chemotaxis, phagocytosis and bactericidal activity. The granulocytes were labelled with 400 microCi 111In-oxine in saline or 111In-trop or Merc in plasma. The effect of the chelating agents with and without addition of the tracer was studied (n = 4) with varying concentrations: 5-10 micrograms/ml oxine, 10-160 micrograms/ml trop and 1-4 micrograms/ml Merc. Chemotaxis and random migration were not affected by 111In-trop and clearly suppressed by 111In-oxine and Merc; the other tests were normal. The cell structure was disturbed by Merc. The labelling efficiency was excellent with oxine (90%), acceptable with trop (30%-80%) and poor with Merc (10%-25%). Without 111In, chemotaxis and random migration were normal up to a concentration of 80 micrograms/ml trop, 8.5 micrograms/ml oxine and 1 microgram/ml Merc. With addition of 111In, chemotaxis and random migration were unaffected up to 80 micrograms/ml by trop and markedly suppressed by Merc and oxine. It is concluded that labelling with 111In-trop assures intact cells.