Mast cells differences

While the pools of Ca required (cellular or extracellular) distinguish non-immunologic peptide secretagogues from the classic immunologic secretagogues, peptide (non-immunologic) stimulation of the mast cell differs form IgE-dependent (immunologic) stimulation in a number of other important ways [86a] ... 

Fig. 3. Mast cell in different stages of secretion (from Heidrun Behrendt).

Puri N. Roche PA Mast cells possess distinct secretory granule subsets whose exocytosis is regulated by different SNARE isoforms. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2008 105 2580-2585. 

In spite of the above-mentioned similarities between basophils and mast cells, they differ in many other aspects [1,2]. Basophils complete their differentiation within the bone marrow, and mature basophils circulate in the peripheral blood and do not usually infiltrate into peripheral tissues unless inflammation takes place. Mast cells originate from hematopoietic cells in the bone marrow as do basophils, but they mature in peripheral tissues after their bone marrow-derived precursors enter the circulation and migrate into peripheral tissues. Mature mast cells reside in peripheral tissues and do not usually circulate in the peripheral blood. The lifespan of basophils is very short (several days), in contrast to that of mast cells (weeks to months). Basophils do not proliferate once they terminally differentiate whereas mature mast cells keep potential to expand in response to various stimuli. These differences between basophils and mast cells, including distinct anatomical localization, suggest their differential roles in vivo. 

Kaartinen M, Penttila A, Kovanen PT Accumulation of activated mast cells in the shoulder region of human coronary atheroma, the predilection site of atheromatous rupture. Circulation 1994 90 1669. Kaartinen M, Penttila A. Kovanen PT Mast cells of two types differing in neutral protease composition in the human aortic intima. Demonstration of tryptase- and tryptase/chymase-containing mast cells in normal intimas, fatty streaks, and the shoulder region of atheromas. Arterioscler Thromb 1994 14 966. 

In 1995, Nagata et al. [16] identified a point mutation consisting of a substitution of valine for aspartic acid in the catalytic domain of c-kit (D816V) in the peripheral blood of patients with mastocytosis and predominately myelodysplastic features. Subsequently, the same mutation was identified in adult patients with different forms of mastocytosis in tissues where mast cells are abundant, such as bone marrow, skin and spleen [17]. It is now believed that more than 90% of adults with mastocytosis have the D816V mutation, if bone marrow mononuclear cells are examined [17]. In a subset of patients, primarily those with more severe disease, the clone expands sufficiently to be detected in peripheral blood [16]. 

Inflammation is present in the lungs of all smokers. It is unclear why only 15% to 20% of smokers develop COPD, but susceptible individuals appear to have an exaggerated inflammatory response.5 O The inflammation of COPD differs from that seen in asthma, so the use of anti-inflammatory medications and the response to those medications are different. The inflammation of asthma is mainly mediated through eosinophils and mast cells. In COPD the primary inflammatory cells include neutrophils, macrophages, and CD8+ T lymphocytes. 

Hiiltner, L., Moeller, J., Schmitt, E., Jager, G., Reisbach, G., Ring, J. and Dormer, P. (1989) Thiol-sensitive mast cell lines derived from mouse bone marrow respond to a mast cell growth-enhancing activity different from both IL-3 and ILA. Journal of Immunology 142, 3440-3446. 

Fig. 18.3. Burdens of adult T. spiralis and development of intestinal pathology in mast-cell-deficient N/W mice. W/W mice and their normal littermates were infected with 400 T. spiralis muscle larvae. (A) Adult worm burdens are represented as mean + sem, five mice per group (, significantly different from day 6 p.i., P< 0.05). (B) Crypt and villus lengths were measured at day 0 and day 13 p.i. Results are expressed as mean + sem for five mice per group (, significantly different from uninfected animals (day 0), P< 0.05). Unpublished data.

Lorentz, A., Schwengberg, S., Sellge, G., Manns, M.P. and Bischoff, S.C. (2000) Human intestinal mast cells are capable of producing different cytokine profiles role of IgE receptor cross-linking and YEA. Journal of Immunology 164, 43-48. 

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