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Due to their role in phagocytosis, macrophages are involved in many diseases of the immune system. For example, they participate in the formation of granulomas, inflammatory lesions that may be caused by a large number of diseases. Some disorders, mostly rare, of ineffective phagocytosis and macrophage function have been described, for example ...
Phagocytes of humans and other jawed vertebrates are divided into "professional" and "non-professional" groups based on the efficiency with which they participate in phagocytosis. [7] The professional phagocytes are myeloid cells , which includes monocytes , macrophages , neutrophils , tissue dendritic cells and mast cells . [ 8 ]
Overview of phagocytosis Phagocytosis versus exocytosis. Phagocytosis (from Ancient Greek φαγεῖν (phagein) 'to eat' and κύτος (kytos) 'cell') is the process by which a cell uses its plasma membrane to engulf a large particle (≥ 0.5 μm), giving rise to an internal compartment called the phagosome. It is one type of endocytosis.
Through the release of Interleukin 4 (IL-4) and Interleukin 13 (IL-13) by TH2, or T helper cells, and mast cells, these macrophages can fuse to form foreign body giant cells. [1] [4] The macrophages are initially attracted to the injury/infection site through a variety of chemoattractants like growth factors, platelet factors, and interleukins. [4]
Macrophages, neutrophils, and dendritic cells are all cells of the innate immune system that utilize phagocytosis and are equipped with Toll-like receptors (TLR). Toll-like receptors are present on each of these cells and recognize a variety of microbial products resulting in the induction of more specific immune responses. [ 2 ]
Macrophages are diffusely scattered in the connective tissue and in liver (Kupffer cells), spleen and lymph nodes (sinus histiocytes), lungs (alveolar macrophages), and central nervous system (microglia). The half-life of blood monocytes is about 1 day, whereas the life span of tissue macrophages is several months or years.
These histiocytes are part of the immune system by way of two distinct functions: phagocytosis and antigen presentation. Phagocytosis is the main process of macrophages and antigen presentation the main property of dendritic cells (so called because of their star-like cytoplasmic processes).
Immunoglobulin G (IgG) is the major type of antibody present in the serum. It is part of the adaptive immune system, but it links to the innate response by recruiting macrophages to phagocytose pathogens. The antibody binds to microbes with the variable Fab domain, and the Fc domain binds to Fc receptors (FcR) to induce phagocytosis.