The molecular phenotypic heterogeneity of mast cells (MCs) makes them attractive as potential therapeutic targets in anti-cancer adjuvant therapy. Mast cell aggregations observed in tumors suggested their involvement in tumor pathogenesis. Despite several studies using mast cell tryptase, MCs' involvement in the progression of prostate tumors has not been demonstrated. The aim of our study was ...

In asthma, the airway smooth muscle (ASM) produces CXCL10 which may attract CXCR3(+) mast/T cells to it. Our aim was to investigate the effects of mast cell products on ASM cell CXCL10 production. ASM cells from people with and without asthma were stimulated with IL-1 β , TNF- α , and/or IFN γ and treated with histamine (1-100  μ M) ± chlorpheniramine (H1R antagonist; 1  μ M) or ranitidine (H2R...

Although the innate immune function of mast cells in the acute phase of parasitic and bacterial infections is well established, their participation in chronic immune responses to indolent infection remains incompletely understood. In parasitic infection with Trichinella spiralis, the immune response incorporates both lymphocyte and mast cell-dependent effector functions for pathogen eradication...

Serum (or plasma) levels of total and mature tryptase measurements are recommended in the diagnostic evaluation of systemic anaphylaxis and systemic mastocytosis, but their interpretation must be considered in the context of a complete workup of each patient. Total tryptase levels generally reflect the increased burden of mast cells in patients with all forms of systemic mastocytosis (indolent ...

106:820–826. 23. Kaartinen M, van der Wal A, van der Loos CM, Piek JJ, Koch KT, Becker AE, Kovanen PT. Mast cell infiltration in acute coronary syndromes: implications for plaque rupture. J Am Coll Cardiol 1998;32:606–612. 24. Kaartinen M, Penttilä A, Kovanen PT. Accumulation of activated mast cells in the shoulder region of human coronary atheroma, the predilection site of atheromatous rupture...

Mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) is a condition with signs and symptoms involving the skin, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, respiratory, and neurologic systems. It can be classified into primary, secondary, and idiopathic. Earlier proposed criteria for the diagnosis of MCAS included episodic symptoms consistent with mast cell mediator release affecting two or more organ systems with urtic...

T HE diagnostic value of serum α-protryptase levels in patients with suspected systemic mastocytosis was evaluated. The retrospective study included 22 patients with suspected mastocytosis and 30 with suspected anaphylaxis. All patients had high total serum tryptase levels of 20 ng/mL or greater and normal or slightly elevated serum β-tryptase levels--no higher than 5 ng/mL. Biopsy results were...

BACKGROUND We compared cardiac mast cell (HHMC) density and the immunological and nonimmunological release of mediators from mast cells isolated from heart tissue of patients with idiopathic dilated (DCM) (n=24) and ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) (n = 10) undergoing heart transplantation and from control subjects (n = 10) without cardiovascular disease. METHODS AND RESULTS HHMC density in DCM ...

Systemic lupus erythematosus frequently involves the kidneys leading to significant morbidity and mortality. It is classified according to glomerular involvement pattern but tubulointerstitial lesions are also important for progression and prognosis, as seen in other kidney glomerular diseases. One of the cell types which participate in this process are mast cells. The aim of the study was to a...

Mast cells are central in the development of several allergic diseases and contain a number of pre-formed mediators. beta-tryptase, the most abundant mast cell product, is increasingly recognized as a key inflammatory mediator, as it causes the release of cytokines, particularly the chemokine IL-8, from both inflammatory and structural cells. The molecular mechanisms, however, remain largely un...