Mononuclear phagocyte accumulates a stearic acid derivative during differentiation into macrophages. Effects of stearic acid on macrophage differentiation and Mycobacterium tuberculosis control

Exogenous stearic acid enhanced the expression of HLA-DR and CD64; there was also accumulation of IL-12, TNF-α, IL-6, MIP-1 α and β and a reduction in MCP-1 and the bacterial load. These results suggested that during differentiation, a derivative of stearic acid, which promotes the process as well as the effector mechanisms of phagocytes against the mycobacterium, accumulates in the cell supernatants.