Alveolar macrophages – “smoker’s cells” or “dust cells” (coniophages). Coniophages phagocytose dust, soot, nicotine, paint, and other particles. These inclusions are visible in the cell cytoplasm in native smears as yellowish-brown, brown, black, and colored granules of various sizes. Sometimes there are so many inclusions that they practically fill the entire cytoplasm. For example, alveolar macrophages in the sputum of miners can be black due to coal microparticles, in millers – white, and in people working in paint production – multicolored. In thick and viscous sputum, when preparing a smear for staining, the cells stretch along the mucous strand. Magnification 40× and 10×.
🙏 Photos and description kindly provided by biologist Anna Feditskaya, Luhansk
