Abstract
Fc gamma RIIIa is a cytokine-inducible IgG Fc receptor implicated in the activation of macrophages by immune complexes. Differential expression of Fc gamma RIIIa by macrophages in different tissues may therefore modulate local immune responsiveness. Fc gamma RIIIa expression in normal human tissues was assessed semiquantitatively using microdensitometry. Synovial intimal, serosal, alveolar, salivary gland and placental macrophages, Kupffer cells, and macrophages in mechanically stressed dermis expressed high levels of Fc gamma RIIIa. Less consistent expression was seen in skeletal muscle and lymphoid organs. No significant expression was observed in brain, thyroid, spine, intestine, myocardium, prostate, uterus, flexor forearm dermis, uterus, or kidney. Staining for Fc gamma RIII was also observed on extracellular matrix, and co-localized with both complement decay-accelerating factor and fibrillin-1. It is proposed that differential levels of both cellular and extracellular Fc gamma RIIIa, by modulating the response to immune complexes, may contribute to relative tissue susceptibility to infection and autoimmune disease.