Selective Harvesting of Marginating-pulmonary Leukocytes

Marginating-pulmonary (MP) leukocytes are leukocytes that adhere to the inner endothelium of the lung capillaries. MP-leukocytes were shown to exhibit unique composition and characteristics compared to leukocytes of other immune compartments. Evidence suggests higher cytotoxicity of natural killer cells, and a distinct pro- and anti-inflammatory profile of the MP-leukocyte population compared to circulating or splenic immunocytes. The method presented herein enables selective harvesting of MP-leukocytes by forced perfusion of the lungs in either mice or rats. In contrast to other methods used to extract lung-leukocytes, such as tissue grinding and biological degradation, this method exclusively yields leukocytes from the lung capillaries, uncontaminated with parenchymal, interstitial, and broncho-alveolar cells. In addition, the perfusion technique better preserves the integrity and the physiological milieu of MP-leukocytes, without inducing physiological responses due to tissue processing. This unique MP leukocyte population is strategically located to identify and react towards abnormal circulating cells, as all circulating malignant cells and infected cells are detained while passing through the lung capillaries, physically interacting with endothelial cells and resident leukocytes,. Thus, selective harvesting of MP-leukocytes and their study under various conditions may advance our understanding of their biological and clinical significance, specifically with respect to controlling circulating aberrant cells and lung-related diseases.