Intrinsic asthma and bacterial histamine release.
In this study of intrinsic asthma (IA) in children the pathogenic role of bacteria in respiratory disease was elucidated by a basophil histamine liberation technique. Several strains of bacteria caused release of histamine from peripheral leukocytes in vitro. Normal, non-infectious and non-atopic children frequently responded in a similar fashion, although positive responses were less frequent. It seems that two different mechanisms of bacterial histamine release exist: interaction with the basophil-bound IgE and a direct interaction with the cell surface. It is suggested that the histamine release takes place only in the lung of IA patients, where a defective pulmonary barrier could permit the bacteria to enter, but not in healthy individuals.
D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D001491:Basophils / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006636:Histamine Release; D006801:Humans; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology