title: [New hypotheses in asthma: the mastocytes].
abstract: Increasing progress has been made in the understanding of the biology of mast cells. The precursors of mast cells leave the bone marrow in a non-differentiated form as CD34+ cells. The presence of mast cells growth and differentiation factors controls in tissues maturation of different mast cells phenotypes. The main factors are the mast cell growth factor SCF (stem cell factor), NGF (Nerve Growth Factor), and IL-3 (Interleukin-3). The potential role of each of these factors in the airways is discussed. An altered production of these growth factors in the airways of asthmatic patients might be the cause of the presence of an increased number of mast cells and of phenotypic modifications in the bronchi of these patients.
authors: Faculté de Pharmacie, INSERM U425, Illkirch.
authors: O
authors: O
authors: Kassel
authors: W
authors: W
authors: Stevens
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Frossard
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D006801:Humans; D007377:Interleukin-3 / Q000502:physiology; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000502:physiology; D019089:Stem Cell Factor / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D007377:Interleukin-3; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D019089:Stem Cell Factor
vernacular_title: Nouvelles hypothèses dans l'asthme: le mastocyte.