Specific expression of inflammatory genes in macrophage subpopulations.

Abstract

Macrophages serve as an effective component of innate immunity in their ability to recognize, engulf and kill potential pathogens. They also coordinate additional host responses by synthesizing a range of inflammatory mediators that can activate the adaptive immune response and establish protective immunity. Although they are a key component of mammalian defense system, macrophage activity is not always beneficial to the host. The centrality of macrophages in disease processes makes macrophage regulation a major target in the prevention, control and cure of inflammatory processes. Consequently, macrophage-restricted genes may be crucial targets for therapeutic intervention. A review is presented of the use of large-scale cDNA microarrays to compare macrophage inflammatory genes differentially expressed in two distinct macrophages populations--bone marrow derived macrophages (bmm) and inflammatory thioglycolate-elicited peritoneal macrophages (tepm)--to non-macrophage cell populations consisting of primary embryonic fibroblast and spleen non-adherent cells. Expression profiles indicate that macrophage inflammatory genes are associated with expected functional categories, such as lysosomal degradation, phagocytosis, host defense and homeostasis.