Angry Macrophages
Angry macrophages are a serious threat to anything that gets in their way.
Activation
- Angry macs are stimulated by interferon-gamma, produced by activated CD4+ cells (Th1 subtype), CTLs, or NK cells.
Function
Angry macs are:
- more phagocytic
- more capable of killing intracellular pathogens (such as M. tuberculosis or Legionella) due to increased production of hydrogen peroxide, NO, and lysozymes
- better at presenting antigen due to upregulation of MHC II
- produce more IL-1 and TNF, recruiting more angry macs
