title: Absence of circulating mast cell precursors in paediatric mastocytosis: could it reflect a different pathophysiology between adults and children with mastocytosis?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mastocytosis is a heterogeneous disease whose different subtypes also vary in aggressivity. Children typically present with cutaneous mastocytosis. We identified, in our previous work, a peripheral CD34-c-Kit+mast cell precursor by flow cytometry in systemic forms but not in cutaneous forms of adult mastocytosis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We wanted to know if such a mast cell precursor exists among children with mastocytosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analysed 10 children with mastocytosis for c-Kit+CD34- mast cell precursors by flow cytometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In contrast to adults with mastocytosis, we did not detect any circulating mast cell precursors by flow cytometry in the peripheral blood of children with mastocytosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The clinical symptoms observed among children with cutaneous mastocytosis could be induced by cutaneous mast cell mediators and not by circulating mast cells. These results may help to better understand the differences between adult and childhood mastocytosis.
authors.affiliation: CNRS UMR 8147, Hôpital Necker-Enfants malades, Paris, France; Centre de Référence des Mastocytoses, Faculté de Médecine et AP-HP Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris, France.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Georgin-Lavialle
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Le Saché-de Peufeilhoux
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Soucie
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bruneau
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barete
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dubreuil
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bodemer
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hermine
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lhermitte
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002452:Cell Count; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D034701:Mastocytosis, Cutaneous / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology*