title: Histamine releasability of basophils and skin mast cells in chronic urticaria.
abstract: In order to clarify the pathogenetic role of basophils and mast cells in chronic urticaria, histamine and leukotriene (LT)C4 release was examined in washed mixed leukocytes (n = 8) and skin mast cells (n = 5) from patients with chronic urticaria and compared with the same cells from normal controls (n = 9). Anti-IgE-stimulated basophil histamine release was significantly reduced in urticaria patients (median 2.9% vs 15.1% in normal controls), whereas histamine release to A23187, FMLP, and PAF, as well as anti-IgE-induced LTC4 release, showed no differences in both groups. In contrast, anti-IgE-stimulated skin mast cells from urticaria patients reacted similarly to those of controls (median histamine release 11.4% vs 14.2% in normal controls). Pretreatment of the cells with interleukin (IL)-3 upregulated responsiveness of basophil histamine release to anti-IgE in urticaria patients (median histamine release 14.3%), but pretreatment with the H2-antagonist cimetidine showed no effect. These data show that reduced basophil histamine releasability in chronic urticaria is not H2 mediated. It is a stimulus-, mediator-, and cell type-restricted phenomenon that can, at least partially, be reversed in the presence of the cytokine IL-3.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Virchow-Klinikum, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zuberbier
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schwarz
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hartmann
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pfrommer
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Czarnetzki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / Q000276:immunology; D001491:Basophils / Q000276:immunology*; D000001:Calcimycin / Q000276:immunology; D002927:Cimetidine / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006636:Histamine Release / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000276:immunology; D007377:Interleukin-3 / Q000276:immunology; D017997:Leukotriene C4 / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009240:N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine / Q000276:immunology; D010972:Platelet Activating Factor / Q000276:immunology; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D014581:Urticaria / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D007377:Interleukin-3; D010972:Platelet Activating Factor; D017997:Leukotriene C4; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D000001:Calcimycin; D009240:N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine; D002927:Cimetidine