05). The RB fluorescence index values for patient PMs were significantly higher than those for the control PMs following stimulation with a single agent (PMA, 82 vs. 41; LPS, 73 vs., 44; zymosan, 71 vs. 26; p<0.005) ( Fig. 3).When two agents, PMA and LPS, were used in combination for stimulation, the RB index values further increased by 40% (from 82 to 115) in the patient PMs and by 130% in the control PMs (from 41 to 95) (p<0.005) ( Fig. 3). When the cells were treated with IFN-γ and then stimulated with PMA alone, the RB index values showed an increase of 6% (from 82 to 87) in the patient PMs and 22% (from 41 to 50, p<0.05) ( Fig. 4) in the control PMs. In this study, we extended the work of other

investigators on peritoneal macrophages [22], [23] and [24]. First, unlike the studies on macrophage function that used cells isolated Stem Cell Compound Library concentration from healthy donors,

this study is one of a few in which the cells were isolated from ill patients. Second, although studies in healthy PMs, and in particular, those from the murine system have provided most of the available knowledge in this area, studying these cells in relation to cirrhotic ascites and SBP is clearly very relevant. The control PMs used by other investigators were isolated from dialysate fluid, which was removed from renal patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). Because exogenous solutions used in CAPD perturb the peritoneal environment, the behaviour of the PMs isolated from dialysate fluid could be influenced [25]. The control PMs used in this study were similar to the patient PMs because both cell populations matured selleck kinase inhibitor in an in vivo human environment and without the effect of exogenous factors. Not surprisingly, the total number of cells isolated from

cirrhotic ascites exceeded that isolated from the controls, because the volume of ascites irrigates a greater surface area of the peritoneum. Previous studies have reported reduced phagocytosis in peripheral blood monocytes and in the Kupffer cells of cirrhotic patients (CP) [3], [6] and [7]. This reduced phagocytosis was explained by intrinsic cell defects and by the presence of phagocytosis inhibitory factors. These findings may Molecular motor not necessarily be extrapolated to the PMs because the peritoneum environment in which the PMs reside is different from the environments, the circulation and the reticuloendothelial system, in which the peripheral blood monocytes and the Kupffer cells exist. To our knowledge, the finding in this study of reduced phagocytosis in PMs from cirrhotic patients has not been previously reported. Unlike the situation with neutrophils, particle opsonisation is not a pre-requisite for phagocytosis by macrophages. Opsonisation is known to further augment this function [26]. However, in the present study although phagocytosis increased following particle opsonisation it was still much lower than that recorded in the control PMs before opsonisation.