Resident pleural macrophages are key orchestrators of neutrophil recruitment in pleural inflammation.

Rationale: The role played by resident pleural macrophages in the initiation of pleural inflammation is currently unclear.

Objective: To evaluate the role of resident pleural macrophages in the initiation of inflammation.

Methods: We have used a conditional macrophage ablation strategy to determine the role of resident pleural macrophages in the regulation of neutrophil recruitment in a murine model of experimental pleurisy induced by the administration of carrageenan and formalin- fixed Staphylococcus aureus.