Intraepithelial Migration of Nasal Mucosal Mast Cells in Hay Fever

Abstract

Mast cells were studied by light microscopy in mucosal imprints and in biopsies of nasal mucosa of 12 birch pollen allergic individuals before and during the pollen season, using techniques optimized for the demonstration of mucosal mast cells. We also measured the histamine content of nasal mucosa, whole blood and plasma, and counted the numbers of circulating blood basophils. Before the pollen season the nasal mucosa was found to contain many mast cells located in the mucosal connective tissue stroma, and very few cells with basophilic and metachromatic granules were found in mucosal imprints. During the pollen season there was a redistribution of mast cells into the epithelium, many such cells now being recovered in mucosal imprints. The total number of mucosal mast cells counted in tissue sections did not change significantly with the onset of the pollen season, suggesting a redistribution of mucosal mast cells by migration. Judged by morphologic appearance and naphthol-AS-D chloroacetate esterase activity, the intraepithelial mast cells found in tissue sections had rather the properties of tissue mast cells than of blod basophils, and only a few of the basophilic cells of the imprints had a morphology compatible with blood basophils. The histamine content of the mucosa, as well as histamine levels of whole blood and plasma, and circulating blood basophil numbers did not change significantly in relation to the pollen season. These findings suggest that an intraepithelial migration of mucosal mast cells is part of the allergic mucosal response. This reaction resembles the nematode response of certain rodents and may explain how contact is established between mucosal allergens and effector cells when the allergic reaction is initiated.

Inactivation of Cystein-Aspartic Acid Protease (Caspase)-1 by Saikosaponin A

“…The accumulation of mast cells takes place in relation to inflammatory conditions. 19,20) Oh et al reported that the number of mast cells in the nasal mucosa of AR mice was significantly higher than those in the OVA-unsensitized mice. 21) In the inflammatory process, proinflammatory cytokines recruit activated immune and inflammatory cells to the sites of lesions, thereby amplifying and perpetuating the inflammatory condition.…”

The mast cell and allergic diseases: role in pathogenesis and implications for therapy

“…With allergen exposure, mast cell migration to, and proliferation within, the epithelium occurs [67]. However, these epithelial mast cells predominantly express only tryptase (MC T ) and are selectively increased in AR [68][69][70]. Although SCF is a strong mast cell chemoattractant and elevated in the nasal lavage fluid of seasonal AR, relatively low levels of SCF are present in the nasal epithelium as compared with the lamina propria.…”

Mast cell population in the frog brain: distribution and influence of thyroid status

“…Acidic Toluidine blue reveals the metachromatic property of MC by binding to sulfated glycosaminoglycans in the granules (Enerbäck et al, 1986;Markey et al, 1989). Some sections were stained with Alcian blue/safranin (AB/safranin); brain sections were first stained in 1% AB in 3% acetic acid (pH2.2) and followed by 0.5% safranin in HCl (pH1.3), according to a previously described technique (Chieffi Baccari et al, 1998).…”

“…Some sections were stained with Alcian blue/safranin (AB/safranin); brain sections were first stained in 1% AB in 3% acetic acid (pH2.2) and followed by 0.5% safranin in HCl (pH1.3), according to a previously described technique (Chieffi Baccari et al, 1998). The combination of these two dyes can distinguish granules containing low-sulfated glycosaminoglycans (AB-positive) from granules containing highsulfated glycosaminoglycans (safranin-positive) (Enerbäck et al, 1986;Markey et al, 1989).…”