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Immunophenotypes

Phenotype and function of a CD56+ peripheral blood monocyte

Leukemia volume 19, pages 69–76 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

G-CSF primed CD34 cells cultured for 2–3 weeks in IL-2 and stem cell factor generate CD56high cells with phenotypic and morphologic features of NK cells, and a novel adherent CD56low CD16− population expressing myeloid markers (CD33 and HLA-DR). We hypothesized that similar cells might also occur in peripheral blood. In 13/13 normal individuals, we found a circulating population of CD56low, CD33+, FcγRI+, FcγRII+, HLA-DR+, CD11bhigh, CD14+ monocytes closely resembling the cultured CD56lowCD33+ cells. They may represent a normal counterpart of the CD56+ CD33+ hybrid myeloid/natural killer cell leukemia. Their mean frequency was 1.3±1% (standard deviation), range 0.16–3.5%, of total mononuclear cells. CD56lowCD33+ cells, primed with cytomegalovirus antigen, induced autologous T-lymphocyte proliferation comparably to CD56−, CD14+ peripheral blood monocytes (PBM). Conversely, CD56low cells induced greater T-cell proliferation than CD56− PBM when lymphocyte responders were HLA mismatched. Unstimulated CD56lowCD33+ cells showed a low antiproliferative effect on K562, which was increased upon LPS stimulation. The pattern of cytokine production by CD56lowCD33+ cells and PBM largely overlapped; however, they produced detectable levels of IL-6 and IL-1β. These results define a minor monocyte population with distinct phenotypic and functional features.

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Acknowledgements

We wish to thank Alessandra Mazzoni (Experimental Immunology Branch, NCI, NIH) for helpful discussion and advice.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Stem Cell Allotransplantation Section, Hematology Branch, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA

    G Sconocchia, K Keyvanfar, F El Ouriaghli, M Grube, K Rezvani, H Fujiwara, J P McCoy Jr, N Hensel & A J Barrett

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  1. G Sconocchia
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  2. K Keyvanfar
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  3. F El Ouriaghli
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  4. M Grube
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  7. J P McCoy Jr
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Correspondence to A J Barrett.

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Sconocchia, G., Keyvanfar, K., El Ouriaghli, F. et al. Phenotype and function of a CD56+ peripheral blood monocyte. Leukemia 19, 69–76 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2403550

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