title: Monocytes do not make mast cells when cultured in the presence of SCF. Characterization of the circulating mast cell progenitor as a c-kit+, CD34+, Ly-, CD14-, CD17-, colony-forming cell.
abstract: Mast cells (MC3) belong to the hemopoietic system and arise from hemopoietic precursor cells. Human MC progenitors can be detected in the bone marrow as well as in the peripheral blood (pb) and are responsive to the mast cell growth factor SCF, the ligand of the c-kit tyrosine kinase receptor. However, little is known about the subsets of cells that become committed to and differentiate into mature human MC. In this study, the identity of the circulating MC progenitor, previously felt to be a monocyte (Mo) or basophil (Ba), was investigated. For this purpose, CD14+ pb monocytes, CD17+ pb basophils and CD34+ cord blood cells were purified to homogeneity (> 95%) from mononuclear cells (normal adult donors, n = 17, cord blood, n = 2) by counter-flow centrifugation followed by cell sorting with mAb. In the presence of rhSCF, MC developed in long term suspension culture from pure CD34+ cells but not from pure Mo, pure Ba, or Ly (MC-tryptase levels on day 42: CD14+ Mo: 3.7 +/- 0.8 vs CD17+ Ba: 3.2 +/- 0.5 vs Ly: 2.0 +/- 1.5 vs control: 196.5 +/- 92.5 ng/ml, p < 0.001). Depletion of CD34+ cells from MNC resulted in a loss of MC in long term suspension culture, whereas depletion of either Mo, Ba, or Ly did not. In methyl-cellulose cultures in the presence of rhSCF, MC and tryptase could be detected in pure (CFU-mast) and mixed (CFU-myeloid/mast) MC colonies. Together, MC do not originate from circulating Mo, Ba, or Ly. The circulating MC progenitor is a CD34+, c-kit+, Ly-, CD14-, CD17- colony-forming cell. This is the first definitive demonstration that mast cells are replenished directly from early hemopoietic progenitors and thus form a unique cell lineage within the hemopoietic system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine I, University of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Agis
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Willheim
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Sperr
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wilfing
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Krömer
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kabrna
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Spanblöchl
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Strobl
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Geissler
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spittler
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Boltz-Nitulescu
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Majdic
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lechner
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Valent
mesh_terms: D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis*; D018952:Antigens, CD34; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic / Q000032:analysis; D000950:Antigens, Ly / Q000032:analysis; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D016298:Hematopoietic Cell Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors; D008297:Male; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D009000:Monocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis; D016184:Receptors, Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000032:analysis; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D019089:Stem Cell Factor
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D018952:Antigens, CD34; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic; D000950:Antigens, Ly; D016298:Hematopoietic Cell Growth Factors; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D016184:Receptors, Colony-Stimulating Factor; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D019089:Stem Cell Factor; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases