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. 1973 Mar;25(3):471–475. doi: 10.1128/am.25.3.471-475.1973

Technique for Differentiating Particles That Are Cell-Associated or Ingested by Macrophages

Donald E Gardner 1, Judith A Graham 1, Frederick J Miller 1, Joseph W Illing 1, David L Coffin 1
PMCID: PMC380830  PMID: 4121509

Abstract

Phagocytosis is a two-step process involving attachment and ingestion of particulate material. It is often difficult to determine under a light microscope whether the particles are actually ingested or are merely attached to the cell. A more accurate, easy to perform technique with the use of xylene has been developed for determining the difference between the attachment and ingestion of polystyrene latex spheres. The xylene treatment dissolves the extracellular spheres, leaving only the intracellular spheres to be counted by the experimenter to obtain a more accurate phagocytic index. This technique also allows an investigator to get an ingestion index, an attachment index, or both.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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