Fetal Monocytes Research Articles

Ontogeny of Tissue-Resident Macrophages.

The origin of tissue-resident macrophages, crucial for homeostasis and immunity, has remained controversial until recently. Originally described as part of the mononuclear phagocyte system, macrophages were long thought to derive solely from adult blood circulating monocytes. However, accumulating evidence now shows that certain macrophage populations are in fact independent from monocyte and even from adult bone marrow hematopoiesis. These tissue-resident macrophages derive from sequential seeding of tissues by two precursors during embryonic development. Primitive macrophages generated in the yolk sac (YS) from early erythro-myeloid progenitors (EMPs), independently of the transcription factor c-Myb and bypassing monocytic intermediates, first give rise to microglia. Later, fetal monocytes, generated from c-Myb+ EMPs that initially seed the fetal liver (FL), then give rise to the majority of other adult macrophages. Thus, hematopoietic stem cell-independent embryonic precursors transiently present in the YS and the FL give rise to long-lasting self-renewing macrophage populations.

Tissue-resident versus monocyte-derived macrophages in the tumor microenvironment

The tumor-promoting role of macrophages has been firmly established in most cancer types. However, macrophage identity has been a matter of debate, since several levels of complexity result in considerable macrophage heterogeneity. Ontogenically, tissue-resident macrophages derive from yolk sac progenitors which either directly or via a fetal liver monocyte intermediate differentiate into distinct macrophage types during embryogenesis and are maintained throughout life, while a disruption of the steady state mobilizes monocytes and instructs the formation of monocyte-derived macrophages. Histologically, the macrophage phenotype is heavily influenced by the tissue microenvironment resulting in molecularly and functionally distinct macrophages in distinct organs. Finally, a change in the tissue microenvironment as a result of infectious or sterile inflammation instructs different modes of macrophage activation. These considerations are relevant in the context of tumors, which can be considered as sites of chronic sterile inflammation encompassing subregions with distinct environmental conditions (for example, hypoxic versus normoxic). Here, we discuss existing evidence on the role of macrophage subpopulations in steady state tissue and primary tumors of the breast, lung, pancreas, brain and liver.

C-Myb+ Erythro-Myeloid Progenitor-Derived Fetal Monocytes Give Rise to Adult Tissue-Resident Macrophages

Although classified as hematopoietic cells, tissue-resident macrophages (MFs) arise from embryonic precursors that seed the tissues prior to birth to generate a self-renewing population, which is maintained independently of adult hematopoiesis. Here we reveal the identity of these embryonic precursors using an in utero MF-depletion strategy and fate-mapping of yolk sac (YS) and fetal liver (FL) hematopoiesis. We show that YS MFs are the main precursors of microglia, while most other MFs derive from fetal monocytes (MOs). Both YS MFs and fetal MOs arise from erythro-myeloid progenitors (EMPs) generated in the YS. In the YS, EMPs gave rise to MFs without monocytic intermediates, while EMP seeding the FL upon the establishment of blood circulation acquired c-Myb expression and gave rise to fetal MOs that then seeded embryonic tissues and differentiated into MFs. Thus, adult tissue-resident MFs established from hematopoietic stem cell-independent embryonic precursors arise from two distinct developmental programs.

TEMPting Fate MaYBe the Solution

In the present issue of Immunity, Hoeffel et al. (2015) reconcile a controversy by demonstrating that a distinct wave of yolk-sac-derived erythro-myeloid progenitors (EMPs) differentiate to fetal monocytes in the liver and further to adult macrophages in the majority of tissues.

Ontogeny and Polarization of Macrophages in Inflammation: Blood Monocytes Versus Tissue Macrophages

The explosion of new information in recent years on the origin of macrophages in the steady-state and in the context of inflammation has opened up numerous new avenues of investigation and possibilities for therapeutic intervention. In contrast to the classical model of macrophage development, it is clear that tissue-resident macrophages can develop from yolk sac-derived erythro-myeloid progenitors, fetal liver progenitors, and bone marrow-derived monocytes. Under both homeostatic conditions and in response to pathophysiological insult, the contribution of these distinct sources of macrophages varies significantly between tissues. Furthermore, while all of these populations of macrophages appear to be capable of adopting the polarized M1/M2 phenotypes, their respective contribution to inflammation, resolution of inflammation, and tissue repair remains poorly understood and is likely to be tissue- and disease-dependent. A better understanding of the ontology and polarization capacity of macrophages in homeostasis and disease will be essential for the development of novel therapies that target the inherent plasticity of macrophages in the treatment of acute and chronic inflammatory disease.

Tissue-resident macrophages originate from yolk-sac-derived erythro-myeloid progenitors.

Most haematopoietic cells renew from adult haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), however, macrophages in adult tissues can self-maintain independently of HSCs. Progenitors with macrophage potential in vitro have been described in the yolk sac before emergence of HSCs, and fetal macrophages can develop independently of Myb, a transcription factor required for HSC, and can persist in adult tissues. Nevertheless, the origin of adult macrophages and the qualitative and quantitative contributions of HSC and putative non-HSC-derived progenitors are still unclear. Here we show in mice that the vast majority of adult tissue-resident macrophages in liver (Kupffer cells), brain (microglia), epidermis (Langerhans cells) and lung (alveolar macrophages) originate from a Tie2(+) (also known as Tek) cellular pathway generating Csf1r(+) erythro-myeloid progenitors (EMPs) distinct from HSCs. EMPs develop in the yolk sac at embryonic day (E) 8.5, migrate and colonize the nascent fetal liver before E10.5, and give rise to fetal erythrocytes, macrophages, granulocytes and monocytes until at least E16.5. Subsequently, HSC-derived cells replace erythrocytes, granulocytes and monocytes. Kupffer cells, microglia and Langerhans cells are only marginally replaced in one-year-old mice, whereas alveolar macrophages may be progressively replaced in ageing mice. Our fate-mapping experiments identify, in the fetal liver, a sequence of yolk sac EMP-derived and HSC-derived haematopoiesis, and identify yolk sac EMPs as a common origin for tissue macrophages.

Fate PPAR-titioning: PPAR-γ 'instructs' alveolar macrophage development.

Alveolar macrophages derive from fetal monocytes that seed the lungs during late embryogenesis. The cytokine GM-CSF expressed in the developing lungs induces expression of the nuclear receptor PPAR-γ, which in turn 'instructs' the differentiation of alveolar macrophage.

Induction of the nuclear receptor PPAR-γ by the cytokine GM-CSF is critical for the differentiation of fetal monocytes into alveolar macrophages.

Tissue-resident macrophages constitute heterogeneous populations with unique functions and distinct gene-expression signatures. While it has been established that they originate mostly from embryonic progenitor cells, the signals that induce a characteristic tissue-specific differentiation program remain unknown. We found that the nuclear receptor PPAR-γ determined the perinatal differentiation and identity of alveolar macrophages (AMs). In contrast, PPAR-γ was dispensable for the development of macrophages located in the peritoneum, liver, brain, heart, kidneys, intestine and fat. Transcriptome analysis of the precursors of AMs from newborn mice showed that PPAR-γ conferred a unique signature, including several transcription factors and genes associated with the differentiation and function of AMs. Expression of PPAR-γ in fetal lung monocytes was dependent on the cytokine GM-CSF. Therefore, GM-CSF has a lung-specific role in the perinatal development of AMs through the induction of PPAR-γ in fetal monocytes.

Distinct functional programming of human fetal and adult monocytes

AbstractPreterm birth affects 1 out of 9 infants in the United States and is the leading cause of long-term neurologic handicap and infant mortality, accounting for 35% of all infant deaths in 2008. Although cytokines including interferon-γ (IFN-γ), interleukin-10 (IL-10), IL-6, and IL-1 are produced in response to in utero infection and are strongly associated with preterm labor, little is known about how human fetal immune cells respond to these cytokines. We demonstrate that fetal and adult CD14+CD16− classical monocytes are distinct in terms of basal transcriptional profiles and in phosphorylation of signal transducers and activators of transcription (STATs) in response to cytokines. Fetal monocytes phosphorylate canonical and noncanonical STATs and respond more strongly to IFN-γ, IL-6, and IL-4 than adult monocytes. We demonstrate a higher ratio of SOCS3 to IL-6 receptor in adult monocytes than in fetal monocytes, potentially explaining differences in STAT phosphorylation. Additionally, IFN-γ signaling results in upregulation of antigen presentation and costimulatory machinery in adult, but not fetal, monocytes. These findings represent the first evidence that primary human fetal and adult monocytes are functionally distinct, potentially explaining how these cells respond differentially to cytokines implicated in development, in utero infections, and the pathogenesis of preterm labor.

Role of alveolar macrophages in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Alveolar macrophages (AMs) represent a unique leukocyte population that responds to airborne irritants and microbes. This distinct microenvironment coordinates the maturation of long-lived AMs, which originate from fetal blood monocytes and self-renew through mechanisms dependent on GM-CSF and CSF-1 signaling. Peripheral blood monocytes can also replenish lung macrophages; however, this appears to occur in a stimuli specific manner. In addition to mounting an appropriate immune response during infection and injury, AMs actively coordinate the resolution of inflammation through efferocytosis of apoptotic cells. Any perturbation of this process can lead to deleterious responses. In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), there is an accumulation of airway macrophages that do not conform to the classic M1/M2 dichotomy. There is also a skewed transcriptome profile that favors expression of wound-healing M2 markers, which is reflective of a deficiency to resolve inflammation. Endogenous mediators that can promote an imbalance in inhibitory M1 vs. healing M2 macrophages are discussed, as they are the plausible mechanisms underlying why AMs fail to effectively resolve inflammation and restore normal lung homeostasis in COPD.

Embryonic and Adult-Derived Resident Cardiac Macrophages Are Maintained through Distinct Mechanisms at Steady State and during Inflammation

Cardiac macrophages are crucial for tissue repair after cardiac injury but are not well characterized. Here we identify four populations of cardiac macrophages. At steady state, resident macrophages were primarily maintained through local proliferation. However, after macrophage depletion or during cardiac inflammation, Ly6c(hi) monocytes contributed to all four macrophage populations, whereas resident macrophages also expanded numerically through proliferation. Genetic fate mapping revealed that yolk-sac and fetal monocyte progenitors gave rise to the majority of cardiac macrophages, and the heart was among a minority of organs in which substantial numbers of yolk-sac macrophages persisted in adulthood. CCR2 expression and dependence distinguished cardiac macrophages of adult monocyte versus embryonic origin. Transcriptional and functional data revealed that monocyte-derived macrophages coordinate cardiac inflammation, while playing redundant but lesser roles in antigen sampling and efferocytosis. These data highlight the presence of multiple cardiac macrophage subsets, with different functions, origins, and strategies to regulate compartment size.

Alveolar macrophages develop from fetal monocytes that differentiate into long-lived cells in the first week of life via GM-CSF

Tissue-resident macrophages can develop from circulating adult monocytes or from primitive yolk sac-derived macrophages. The precise ontogeny of alveolar macrophages (AMFs) is unknown. By performing BrdU labeling and parabiosis experiments in adult mice, we found that circulating monocytes contributed minimally to the steady-state AMF pool. Mature AMFs were undetectable before birth and only fully colonized the alveolar space by 3 d after birth. Before birth, F4/80(hi)CD11b(lo) primitive macrophages and Ly6C(hi)CD11b(hi) fetal monocytes sequentially colonized the developing lung around E12.5 and E16.5, respectively. The first signs of AMF differentiation appeared around the saccular stage of lung development (E18.5). Adoptive transfer identified fetal monocytes, and not primitive macrophages, as the main precursors of AMFs. Fetal monocytes transferred to the lung of neonatal mice acquired an AMF phenotype via defined developmental stages over the course of one week, and persisted for at least three months. Early AMF commitment from fetal monocytes was absent in GM-CSF-deficient mice, whereas short-term perinatal intrapulmonary GM-CSF therapy rescued AMF development for weeks, although the resulting AMFs displayed an immature phenotype. This demonstrates that tissue-resident macrophages can also develop from fetal monocytes that adopt a stable phenotype shortly after birth in response to instructive cytokines, and then self-maintain throughout life.

Adult Langerhans cells derive predominantly from embryonic fetal liver monocytes with a minor contribution of yolk sac–derived macrophages

Langerhans cells (LCs) are the dendritic cells (DCs) of the epidermis, forming one of the first hematopoietic lines of defense against skin pathogens. In contrast to other DCs, LCs arise from hematopoietic precursors that seed the skin before birth. However, the origin of these embryonic precursors remains unclear. Using in vivo lineage tracing, we identify a first wave of yolk sac (YS)-derived primitive myeloid progenitors that seed the skin before the onset of fetal liver hematopoiesis. YS progenitors migrate to the embryo proper, including the prospective skin, where they give rise to LC precursors, and the brain rudiment, where they give rise to microglial cells. However, in contrast to microglia, which remain of YS origin throughout life, YS-derived LC precursors are largely replaced by fetal liver monocytes during late embryogenesis. Consequently, adult LCs derive predominantly from fetal liver monocyte-derived cells with a minor contribution of YS-derived cells. Altogether, we establish that adult LCs have a dual origin, bridging early embryonic and late fetal myeloid development.

Osteoblast and monocyte responses to 444 ferritic stainless steel intended for a Magneto-Mechanically Actuated Fibrous Scaffold

The rationale behind this work is to design an implant device, based on a ferromagnetic material, with the potential to deform in vivo promoting osseointegration through the growth of a healthy periprosthetic bone structure. One of the primary requirements for such a device is that the material should be non-inflammatory and non-cytotoxic. In the study described here, we assessed the short-term cellular response to 444 ferritic stainless steel; a steel, with a very low interstitial content and a small amount of strong carbide-forming elements to enhance intergranular corrosion resistance. Two different human cell types were used: (i) foetal osteoblasts and (ii) monocytes. Austenitic stainless steel 316L, currently utilised in many commercially available implant designs, and tissue culture plastic were used as the control surfaces. Cell viability, proliferation and alkaline phosphatase activity were measured. In addition, cells were stained with alizarin red and fluorescently-labelled phalloidin and examined using light, fluorescence and scanning electron microscopy. Results showed that the osteoblast cells exhibited a very similar degree of attachment, growth and osteogenic differentiation on all surfaces. Measurement of lactate dehydrogenase activity and tumour necrosis factor alpha protein released from human monocytes indicated that 444 stainless steel did not cause cytotoxic effects or any significant inflammatory response. Collectively, the results suggest that 444 ferritic stainless steel has the potential to be used in advanced bone implant designs.

Funisitis is associated with increased interleukin-10 gene expression in cord blood mononuclear cells in preterm infants ≤32 weeks of gestation

Objectives A systemic inflammatory response after intrauterine funisitis is assumed to be an important priming factor for acute and chronic pulmonary morbidity and neurological impairment in premature infants. Fetal lymphocytes and monocytes modulate the primary immune response. Genetic regulation of the cytokine-mediated process is partially known. The objective of our study was to examine the pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses in umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells (CBMC) of preterm infants on the transcriptional level. Study design Fifteen preterm infants with a gestational age ≤32 weeks were enrolled in this prospective study. Funisitis was diagnosed in five of the 15 by histological examination. Gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-8, IL-1β and IL-17) and anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10 and TGF-β1) was examined in CBMC by real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Results Gene expression of IL-10 was significantly higher in the funisitis group compared to unexposed controls ( p < 0.008). Expression of TGF-β1, TNF-α, IL-8 and IL-1β did not differ significantly between the funisitis and control group. IL-17 was detectable in only two samples. Conclusions Funisitis is associated with increased IL-10 gene expression in CBMC of preterm infants with a gestational age ≤32 weeks. This might contribute to modulation of postnatal immunoreactions and immunoregulation in these individuals.

Focal Increases of Fetal Macrophages in Placentas from Pregnancies with Histological Chorioamnionitis: Potential Role of Fibroblast Monocyte Chemotactic Protein-1

Histopathological chorioamnionitis (HCA) is caused by microbial-driven infiltration of leukocytes to the maternal-fetal interface resulting in adverse neonatal outcomes in a subset of pregnancies. The role of placental villus macrophages (i.e. Hofbauer cells, HBCs) in the pathophysiology of HCA is unelucidated. The number of HBCs in human term placental villi in HCA and control groups was compared using immunohistochemistry. Levels of monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP-1) expression were measured in primary cultures of syncytioytrophoblasts (SCTs) and fibroblasts (FIBs) treated with bacterial compounds [lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and peptidoglycan] and pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-1β) using ELISA and quantitative real-time PCR. Immunohistochemistry revealed a focal increase in HBCs in HCA. Treatment of FIBs with LPS, IL-1β, and TNF-α significantly increased MCP-1 mRNA and protein expression. Conversely, MCP-1 mRNA and protein levels were virtually undetectable in treated and untreated SCTs. These results demonstrate cell-type-specific regulation of MCP-1 expression in human placenta. A model is presented in which bacterial products and inflammatory cytokines initiate a fibroblast-driven cytokine cascade resulting in recruitment of fetal monocytes to placenta which focally increases levels of HBCs in pregnancies complicated by HCA.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Enhanced Maternal Anti‐Fetal Immunity Contributes to the Severity of Hypertensive Disorder Complicating Pregnancy

Citation Liu L‐P, Huang W, Lu Y‐C, Liao A‐H. Enhanced maternal anti‐fetal immunity contributes to the severity of hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy. Am J Reprod Immunol 2010Problem The aim of this study was to evaluate how fetal monocyte activation and maternal anti‐fetal antigen‐specific antibody‐secreting cells (ASC) affect the severity of hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy (HDCP).Method of study Forty‐six healthy third‐trimester pregnant women and 20 patients with gestational hypertension, 20 with mild pre‐ecalmpsia and another 20 with severe pre‐eclampsia were included in the study. Interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) release from cord blood monocytes was examined by intracellular cytokine staining and flow cytometric analysis. Moreover, the maternal anti‐fetal antigen‐specific ASC were detected by enzyme‐linked immunospot assay.Results A significantly increased percentage of IL‐6‐positive monocytes were detected in the cord blood of study groups compared with the controls (P &lt; 0.01). The percentage of IL‐6‐positive monocytes was increased as the disease progressed (P &lt; 0.05). There were more anti‐fetal antigen‐specific ASC in the study groups than those in the controls (P &lt; 0.001). Furthermore, the anti‐fetal antigen‐specific ASC showed difference in gestational hypertensive and severe pre‐eclamptic groups (P &lt; 0.05).Conclusion We conclude that the fetal monocyte activation and the increase in maternal anti‐fetal antigen‐specific ASC were related to the incidence and severity of HDCP. These results provide both indirect and direct evidence for the occurrence of exaggerated maternal humoral immunity against the fetal antigens in HDCP.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Isolation of Non‐Activated Monocytes from Human Umbilical Cord Blood

Problem Methods for monocyte purification are common but few work with umbilical cord monocytes that do not activate the cell for subsequent culture analysis.Methods of study The collection procedure avoids use of needles and procedures that variably activate blood clotting and uses a purification procedure that involves diluted Ficoll, autologous serum to remove platelets and 42% and 51% Percoll step gradients for the final purification. The resulting monocytes were stimulated with bacterial lipopolysaccharide and formalin‐treated bacteria Escherichia coli and group B streptococci (GBS) to secrete TNF‐α and IL‐1β, measured by ELISA.Results The purification procedure results in non‐active but stimulation‐competent monocytes with high yields (2.3–9 × 107 cells) and purity (from 70% to 98%).Conclusion We describe a procedure that is easy, uses common reagents and provides a uniformly high yield and purity of non‐activated fetal monocytes for studies of innate defense responses.

Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived and Fetal Macrophages Exhibit Mainly Features of Alternative (M2) Polarization.

Abstract 4598Monocyte heterogeneity has long been recognized and 2 functional subsets of human monocytes that exert specific roles in homeostasis and inflammation in vivo, M1 and M2 monocytes, has been described. The different monocyte subsets seem to reflect developmental stages with distinct physiological roles but few is known whether the macrophage diversity arises in early ontogeny.Human embryonic stem cells (hESC) provide an unique model for in vitro studies of the early ontogeny of the hematopoietic system. Human embryonic monocytes were obtained from embryoid bodies cultured for 3 weeks in the presence of BMP4, VEGF and a mixture of hematopoietic cytokines. The sorted CD14+CD45+ cells were further cultured for 7 -10 days in the presence of GM- and M-CSF. Embryonic stem cells derived monocytes and macrophages were identified by several criteria including morphology, cytochemical staining, ultrastructural and functional features. In contrast to early mouse hematopoiesis that bypass the series of monoblaste/monocyte precursors human embryonic monocyte lineage developped by process similar to definitive monopoiesis. Two distinct subpopulations of monocytes, first CD14+CD16- then CD14+CD16+ could be successively identified. Transcriptional and functional assays suggest that CD14+CD16- population is not an embryonic counterpart of CD14+CD16- “inflammatory” adult monocytes but a precursor for CD14+CD16+ macrophages and dendritic cells. Moreover, both tested populations possess phenotypical markers of M2 polarization and were positive for a expression of scavenger receptors CD163+ and CD36+ of CCR5 and negative for CD62L. Additional transcriptional studies and chemokine pattern confirmed their IL10 high IL12low phenotype, clearly indicating their M2 polarization state. M2 polarization was confirmed in fetal macrophages derived from CD34+ cells issued from livers of first-trimester fetuses. Involvment of embryonic and foetal monocytes in homeostasis are under investigation.Collectively, our data provide insight into alternative macrophage polarization during early embryogenesis and adds further data to the growing body of evidence that establishment of macrophage heterogeneity is related to early ontogeny. Disclosures:No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Evidence of changes in the immunophenotype and metabolic characteristics (intracellular reactive oxygen radicals) of fetal, but not maternal, monocytes and granulocytes in the fetal inflammatory response syndrome

The fetal inflammatory response syndrome (FIRS) is present in a fraction of fetuses exposed to intra-amniotic infection and is associated with the impending onset of labor and multisystem organ involvement. Neonates born with funisitis, the histologic counterpart of fetal systemic inflammation, are at increased risk for cerebral palsy and bronchopulmonary dysplasia. The aim of this study was to determine whether fetal and maternal granulocytes and monocytes have the phenotypic and metabolic characteristics of activation in cases with FIRS. A case-control study was conducted with umbilical cord and maternal blood samples obtained from patients who delivered preterm with (n=30) and without funisitis (n=15). The phenotypic characteristics of granulocytes and monocytes were examined using flow cytometry and monoclonal antibodies including CD11b, CD14, CD15, CD16, CD18, CD49d, CD62L, CD64, CD66b, and HLA-DR. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (iROS) were measured at the basal state and after stimulation (oxidative burst). A P<0.01 was considered statistically significant. (1) Funisitis was associated with a significant increase in the median mean channel brightness (MCB) of CD14, CD64, and CD66b on granulocytes and the MCB of CD64 on monocytes collected from umbilical cord blood. (2) The basal iROS production and oxidative burst were higher in the umbilical cord monocytes of neonates with funisitis than in those without funisitis. (3) There were no differences in the immunophenotype, basal iROS production, and oxidative burst in maternal granulocytes or monocytes between the study groups. Fetal systemic inflammation is associated with phenotypic and metabolic changes consistent with activation in fetal immune cells but not in maternal blood.