Characterization of monocyte-macrophage-lineage cells induced from CD34⁺ bone marrow cells in vitro

We characterized the expression of cell surface antigens and cytokine-secreting ability of monocyte-macrophage-lineage cells induced in vitro from CD34⁺ bone marrow cells. After cultivation for 3 weeks, we observed 2 distinct cell fractions: a floating small, round cell fraction and an adherent large, protruding cell fraction. Both cell fractions expressed myelocyte-monocyte-lineage antigens, but mature-macrophage markers such as CD206 were expressed only by the adherent cells. An assessment of cells cultured for 5 weeks revealed spontaneous secretion of interleukin 8 (IL-8) and IL-6, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) secretion in both fractions, but only the adherent cell fraction secreted IL-10 after LPS stimulation. In contrast, both fractions of cells cultured for 3 weeks spontaneously secreted low levels of IL-8, but none of the other cytokines. Upon LPS stimulation, the cells secreted IL-6 and TNF-α, but not IL-10. We also assessed the effect of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) pretreatment on TNF-α secretion by each cell fraction and found that G-CSF reduced TNF-α secretion only in the adherent fraction of cells cultured for 3 weeks. Monocyte-macrophage-lineage cells induced in vitro should provide an ideal model for functional analysis of monocyte-macrophage cells.