Regulation of scavenger receptor CD163 expression in human monocytes and macrophages by pro- and antiinflammatory stimuli

CD163, also referred to as M130, a member of the scavenger receptor cysteine-rich family (SRCR) is exclusively expressed on cells of the monocyte lineage. In freshly isolated monocytes the CD14(bright) CD16⁺ monocyte subset revealed the highest expression of CD163 among all monocyte subsets. CD163 mRNA and protein expression is up-regulated during macrophage colony- stimulating factor (M-CSF)-dependent phagocytic differentiation of human blood monocytes. In contrast, monocytic cells treated with GM-CSF and interleukin-4 (IL-4) for dendritic differentiation down-regulate this antigen. CD163 expression is also suppressed by proinflammatory mediators like lipopolysaccharide (LPS), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), and tumor necrosis factor α, whereas IL-6 and the antiinflammatory cytokine interleukin- 10 (IL-10) strongly up-regulate CD163 mRNA in monocytes and macrophages. The effects of the immunosuppressants dexamethasone, cyclosporin A (CA), and cortisol differ in their capacity to influence CD163 mRNA levels. Our results demonstrate that CD163 expression in monocytes/macrophages is regulated by proinflammatory and antiinflammatory mediators. This expression pattern implies a functional role of CD163 in the antiinflammatory response of monocytes.