Journal of Experimental Medicine, Vol 161, 972-983, Copyright © 1985 by Rockefeller University Press
Absence of platelet membrane glycoproteins IIb/IIIa from monocytes
KJ Clemetson, JL McGregor, RP McEver, YV Jacques, DF Bainton, W Domzig and M Baggiolini
Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, immunoprecipitation, and crossed
immunoelectrophoresis were used in the investigation of glycoproteins
IIb/IIIa in platelets, monocytes, and monocyte-derived macrophages from
human blood. All techniques detected the glycoproteins in platelets but not
in the mononuclear phagocytes. Similar results were obtained by
immunochemistry using a monoclonal antibody against the platelet
glycoproteins IIb/IIIa (revealed by a gold-labeled second antibody) which
bound heavily to the platelet but not to the monocyte surface. The
biochemical techniques used for the analysis of mononuclear phagocytes
would have reliably detected the level of glycoproteins IIb/IIIa
contributed by a 5% contamination with platelets, calculated on a per cell
basis. We conclude that human monocytes and monocyte- derived macrophages
lack glycoproteins IIb/IIIa. Our results further indicate that centrifugal
elutriation yields monocyte preparations with minimal contamination by
platelets. It seems likely that the positive results obtained by other
authors were due to the presence of platelets or fragments on the
monocytes.