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Immunophenotypic and functional characterization of human tonsillar mast cells
Author(s) -
Füreder Wolfgang,
Bankl Hans Christian,
Toth Josef,
Walchshofer Sabine,
Sperr Wolfgang,
Agis Hermine,
Semper Hans,
Sillaber Christian,
Lechner Klaus,
Valent Peter
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
journal of leukocyte biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.819
H-Index - 191
eISSN - 1938-3673
pISSN - 0741-5400
DOI - 10.1002/jlb.61.5.592
Subject(s) - biology , microbiology and biotechnology , monoclonal antibody , stem cell factor , immunology , antibody , pathology , stem cell , haematopoiesis , medicine
Mast cells (MC) are proinflammatory immune cells residing in various organs. Tissue‐specific heterogeneity of MC has been described. The aim of this study was to establish the phenotype and functional profile of human tonsillar mast cells (ToMC) and to compare ToMC with lung‐, skin‐, and uterus MC. Tonsillar tissue was obtained from 23 patients suffering from hyperplastic tonsils and dispersed by enzymatic digestion. With the use of a combined toluidine blue/immunofluorescence staining technique, isolated ToMC were found to react with monoclonal antibodies (mAb) to immunoglobulin E, CD9, CD43, CD44, CD46, CD54, CD55, and CD59, as well as mAb to stem cell factor (SCF) receptor (CD117/c‐kit). ToMC were not recognized by mAb to other cytokine receptors or mAb to CD3, CD11b, CD14, CDw17, the skin MC marker CD88 (C5aR) or CD89 (FcαR). Activation of ToMC by recombinant human (rh) SCF or anti‐IgE resulted in histamine secretion, whereas no effects were seen with rhC5a, rh granulocyte‐macrophage colony‐stimulating factor, or rh interleukin‐1 through ‐10. In summary, ToMC exhibit functional and phenotypic properties similar to lung‐ or uterus MC. Unlike skin MC, ToMC lack C5aR and are unresponsive to rhC5a. J. Leukoc. Biol. 61: 592–599; 1997.