Macrophage-mediated tumor cytotoxicity: role of macrophage surface sialic acid

Cell surface sialic acid levels were compared for monocytes and macrophages obtained from normal volunteers and breast cancer patients. Equal quantities of sialic acid were found on the monocytes obtained from normal volunteers and breast cancer patients. Approximately 60% more cell surface sialic acid was found on the macrophages from breast cancer patients than was found on the macrophages from normal volunteers. In order to determine whether cell surface sialic acid had any effect on macrophage-mediated cytotoxicity, macrophages were pretreated with neuraminidase (NANAse) prior to co-cultivation with tumor cells. The normal macrophages, after neuraminidase treatment, no longer retained their ability to kill tumor cells. However, when macrophages from breast cancer patients were treated with NANAse, no difference was observed in the ability of untreated and NANAse treated macrophages to kill tumor cells.