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Flow Cytometric Identification of Fibrocytes in the Human Circulation

  • Protocol
Immunosenescence

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1343))

Abstract

Because the incidence of organ fibrosis increases with age, various fibrosing disorders are projected to account for significant increases in morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs in the years to come. Treatments for these diseases are scarce and better understanding of the immunopathogenesis of fibrosis and its relationship to aging are sorely needed. One area of interest in this field is the role that fibrocytes might play in the development of tissue remodeling and fibrosis. Fibrocytes are mesenchymal progenitor cells presumed to be of monocyte origin that possess the tissue remodeling properties of tissue resident fibroblasts such as extracellular matrix production and α-SMA-related contractile properties, as well as the immunologic functions typically attributed to macrophages including production of cytokines and chemokines, antigen presentation, regulation of leukocyte trafficking, and modulation of angiogenesis. Fibrocytes could participate in the development of age-related fibrosing disorders through any or all of these functions. This chapter presents methods that have been developed for the study of circulating human fibrocytes. Protocols for the quantification of fibrocytes in the human circulation will be presented along with discussion of the technical challenges that are frequently encountered in this field. It is hoped that this information will facilitate further investigation of the relationship between fibrocytes, aging, and fibrosis, and perhaps uncover new areas of study in these difficult-to-treat and deadly diseases.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported in part by grants R01 HL109033, U01 HL112702-01 (both to E.L.H) from the National Institutes of Health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, 300 Cedar Street, 208057, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA

    Xinyuan Hu, Erin M. DeBiasi & Erica L. Herzog M.D., Ph.D.

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  1. Xinyuan Hu
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  2. Erin M. DeBiasi
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  3. Erica L. Herzog M.D., Ph.D.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Erica L. Herzog M.D., Ph.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA

    Albert C. Shaw

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Hu, X., DeBiasi, E.M., Herzog, E.L. (2015). Flow Cytometric Identification of Fibrocytes in the Human Circulation. In: Shaw, A. (eds) Immunosenescence. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1343. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2963-4_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2963-4_3

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-2962-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-2963-4

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