Dependence of macrophage phagocytic efficacy on antibody concentration.

ABSTRACT: Macrophages ingest the fungus Cryptococcus neoformans only in the presence of opsonins, and this provides a remarkably clean system for the detailed analysis of phagocytosis. This system is also unusual in that antibody-mediated phagocytosis involves ingestion through both Fc and complement receptors in the absence of complement. Mathematical modeling was used to analyze and explain the experimental data that the macrophage phagocytic index increased with increasing doses of antibody despite saturating concentrations and declined at high concentrations. A model was developed that explains the increase in phagocytic index with increasing antibody doses, differentiates among the contributions from Fc and complement receptors, and provides a tool for estimating antibody concentrations that op

SUBMITTER: Macura N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1865677 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature