RELEASE OF HYDROGEN-PEROXIDE AND EXPRESSION OF HLA-DR AND TRANSFERRIN RECEPTORS BY MONOCYTES AND PERITONEAL-MACROPHAGES FROM PATIENTS UNDERGOING CONTINUOUS AMBULATORY PERITONEAL-DIALYSIS AND NORMAL CONTROLS

Peritoneal macrophages from patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) were investigated with respect to their ability to release H2O2 and express HLA-DR and transferrin receptors (TfR). Release of H2O2 and the proportion of cells expressing HLA-DR were significantly reduced in CAPD macrophages compared with normal peritoneal macrophages but were both similar to blood monocytes. In contrast, about 17% of CAPD peritoneal macrophages and 23% of CAPD blood monocytes expressed TfR but normal peritoneal macrophages and blood monocytes were always negative. These results suggest that the peritoneal macrophages from CAPD patients are relatively immature cells, possibly due to the rapid turnover of cells in CAPD. © 1990.