title: Human mast cell subtypes in conjunctiva of patients with atopic keratoconjunctivitis, ocular cicatricial pemphigoid and Stevens-Johnson syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Investigate mast cell (MC(S)) subtypes in atopic keratoconjunctivitis (AKC), ocular cicatrical pemphigoid (OCP), and Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS).
  
  
  METHODS
  MC(S) subtypes were determined by immunohistochemistry of conjunctiva (obtained from 34 patients--9 AKC, 9 OCP, 9 SJS and 7 normal) using monoclonal antibodies directed against chymase (MC(C)) and tryptase (MC(T)). Double staining was used to distinguish MC(S) as positive for both chymase and tryptase (MC(TC)).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The number of MC(S) was significantly increased in AKC, OCP and SJS patients, compared to normal subjects. MC( C) were especially high in AKC, and moderately high in OCP. MC(T ) and MC(TC) were similar in each disease group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While the AKC findings were not surprising, the result in OCP and SJS suggests that MC(S) play an underappreciated role in the inflammatory process of these disorders. Disparate proportions of MC(S) subtypes in these diseases may imply differential functions of MC(S) in these disorders.
authors.affiliation: Immunology and Uveitis Service and Hilles Immunology Laboratory, Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Lijing
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Stefanos
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baltatzis
authors.forename: Panayotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zafirakis
authors.forename: Charalampos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Livir-Rallatos
authors.forename: Adamantia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Voudouri
authors.forename: Nikos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Markomichelakis
authors.forename: Tongzhen
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: C Stephen
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Foster
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D053818:Chymases; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000473:pathology*; D003233:Conjunctivitis, Allergic / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010390:Pemphigoid, Benign Mucous Membrane / Q000473:pathology*; D010641:Phenotype; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism; D013262:Stevens-Johnson Syndrome / Q000473:pathology*; D053802:Tryptases
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D053818:Chymases; D053802:Tryptases