Large-scale purification and cryopreservation of human monocytes

Human blood monocytes were purified by a new method capable of handling 3 X 10(9) mononuclear leukocytes, which does not involve adherence of the cells and takes about 3 h to perform. The yield of monocytes is 70%, the purity about 90% and the viability 99%. Monocytes purified by this method were cryopreserved at -196 degrees C. The function of the cells was tested before freezing and after thawing. We found that the capacity of cryo-preserved monocytes to move to the source of a chemotactic gradient, to ingest particles, to mount a respiratory burst during phagocytosis, to kill intracellular bacteria, to lyse anti-D sensitized erythrocytes and to help autologous lymphocytes in a proliferative response to mitogens or antigens, was preserved by 70% or more as compared with non-frozen cells. Thus, cryopreservation of human blood monocytes is possible with maintenance of functional capacities.