Expression of a new cell surface antigen on activated murine macrophages.

A macrophage cell-surface antigen associated with pyran and Corynebacterium parvum-activated macrophages and P388D1 cells but not detectable on normal or glycogen and thioglycollate-elicited murine macrophages has been described. The antigen was demonstrated both by complement-mediated cytotoxicity and immunofluorescence, using an appropriately absorbed rabbit antiserum to P388D1. This antiserum should enable the characterization of activated macrophage cell populations on an individual cell basis and should be a useful probe to study the interactions of macrophages with tumor cells and the relationship of activation to cell-surface changes.