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mast cell
Function:
1) mast cells contain metachromatically stained granules (Giemsa or toluidine blue); these granules contain several pharmacologically active substances
2) preformed mast cell mediators:
a) vasoactive mediators
- histamine
- adenosine
- serotonin
b) chemotactic factors
- neutrophil chemotactic factors
- eosinophil chemotactic factors
c) enzymes
- neutral proteases & acid hydrolases
- kininogenase
- arylsulfatase A
- exoglycosidases
- beta-hexosaminidase
- beta-D-galactosidase
- beta-glucuronidase
d) granule-associate mediators
- mast-cell tryptase
- chymotryptic proteinase
- heparin & other proteoglycans
- tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)
- interleukin-4 (IL-4)
3) rapidly synthesized mast cell mediators
a) reactive oxygen species - superoxide
b) arachidonate metabolites:
- leukotrienes (slow-reacting substances of anaphylaxis)
- LTC4
- LTD4
- LTE4
- 5-lipoxygenase products
- thromboxane A2
- prostaglandin D2
- platelet-activating factor
c) vasoactive mediators - bradykinin
4) mast cell-derived cytokines:
a) eosinophil growth & activating factors
- interleukin-5 (IL-5)
- GM-CSF
- interleukin-3 (IL-3)
b) mast cell growth factors
- interleukin-3 (IL-3)
- interleukin-9 (IL-9)
- interleukin-10 (IL-10)
c) proinflammatory factors
- interleukin-1 (IL-1)
- tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alph)
- interleukin-6 (IL-6)
- interleukin-8 (IL-8)
d) factors contributing to IgE isotype switch
- interleukin-4 (IL-4)
- interleukin-13 (IL-13)
Physiology:
- mast cells are connective tissue cells of mesenchymal origin
- widely distributed throughout the body, including bone marrow, thymus, spleen
- mast cells do not normally appear in peripheral blood
Biochemistry:
- c-kit & its ligand (mast cell growth factor) enhances the number & activation state of mast cells
Pharmacology:
- drugs that cause mast cell degranulation include:
- alcohol, dextran, polymixin B, morphine, codeine, scopolamine, D-tubocurarine, NSAIDs
- antihistamines (sedating H1 blockers +/- H2 blockers) are used to treat excessive mast cell degranulation
Related
mast cell degranulation
mast cell disease
mast cell stabilizer
mastocytosis
Useful
histamine
General
connective tissue cell
mesenchymal cell
References
- Medical Knowledge Self Assessment Program (MKSAP) 11, 16, 18..
American College of Physicians, Philadelphia 1998, 2012. 2018
- Henry's Clinical Diagnosis & Management by Laboratory Methods,
21st edition, McPherson RA & Pincus MR (es), W.B. Saunders Co.,
Philadelphia, PA. 2007, page 496
- ARUP Consult: Mast Cell Disorders
The Physician's Guide to Laboratory Test Selection & Interpretation
https://www.arupconsult.com/content/mast-cell-disorders
- Mast Cell Disorders Testing Algorithm
https://arupconsult.com/algorithm/mast-cell-disorders-testing-algorithm