title: Heterogeneity of mast cells at multiple body sites. Fluorescent determination of avidin binding and immunofluorescent determination of chymase, tryptase, and carboxypeptidase content.
abstract: Human mast cells (MCs) from multiple sites were studied to determine heterogeneity of expression of chymase, tryptase, and/or carboxypeptidase and the binding to avidin. Three immunophenotypes were found: MCs positive for tryptase (MCT), no immunodetectable chymase; MCs positive for tryptase and chymase (MCTC); and MCs positive for chymase (MCC), no immunodetectable tryptase. Chymase-positive MCs also bound avidin and contained carboxypeptidase. In breast skin and parenchyma and axillary lymph nodes > 95% were MCTC; a rare MC in skin and lymph nodes was MCT or MCC. In lung alveoli 91% of MCs were MCT, 8% were MCTC and 1% MCC. In bowel mucosa 58% of MCs were MCT, 35% were MCTC and 7% MCC, whereas in bowel submucosa 83% of MCs were MCTC and 17% MCC. Within esophageal epithelium 38% were MCT and 62% MCTC; whereas, in esophageal subepithelium all were MCTC. This study further documents site-dependent diversity among normal human MCs and recognizes a novel third immunophenotype rich in chymase and relatively deficient in tryptase, the MCC cell.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Weidner
authors.forename: K F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Austen
mesh_terms: D001360:Avidin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D002268:Carboxypeptidases / Q000032:analysis*; D053818:Chymases; D016650:Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism; D009928:Organ Specificity; D011485:Protein Binding; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000032:analysis*; D053802:Tryptases
chemical_list: C036963:fluorescein isothiocyante avidin; D001360:Avidin; D002268:Carboxypeptidases; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; C083294:chymase 2; D053818:Chymases; D053802:Tryptases; D016650:Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate