If I isolate PBMCs from a donor with an ongoing bacterial infection cold and fever, will the bacteria show up in my PBMC culture ? or just the increased number of WBCs will indicate it?
They will most probably appear at the cultures. Many bacteria species will find PBMC culture conditions suitable for growth. Those condition may not be as suitable as the ones in a blood culture bottle but definitely a lot of bacteria will be able to grow in the PBMC cultures.
That... I don't know. Depends on the bacteria, and the level of infection, and whether it's in circulation or not.
If the bacteria is intracellular in monocytes, you might be out of luck. But, if the infection is low enough, once the macrophages differentiate, they will take care of it.
If you are trying to clear the bacteria from your PBMC culture... it may be possible. When you isolate your PBMCs, during the washes, I would use 1xPBS with antibiotics. And do at least 5, and with the last one just PBS, not antibiotics. (Granted this assumes that you don't add antibiotics in your PBMC cultures...)
thanks for the answers. @Ludmila, no I meant an otherwise healthy person with a cold and fever that is due to a strep infection. Does that turn up in the blood when we isolate PBMCs from such a person?