title: Mast cells in airway diseases and interstitial lung disease.
abstract: Mast cells are major effector cells of inflammation and there is strong evidence that mast cells play a significant role in asthma pathophysiology. There is also a growing body of evidence that mast cells contribute to other inflammatory and fibrotic lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. This review discusses the role that mast cells play in airway diseases and highlights how mast cell microlocalisation within specific lung compartments and their cellular interactions are likely to be critical for their effector function in disease.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Allergic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. Electronic address: glenn.cruse@nih.gov.
authors.forename: Glenn
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cruse
authors.affiliation: Department of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, Institute for Lung Health, University of Leicester, Glenfield Hospital, Leicester LE3 9QP, UK.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bradding
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D006801:Humans; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: Airway diseases; Asthma; Interstitial lung disease; Mast cell