Mast cell changes, numbers and degranulations, of 264 cases of skin biopsy lesions were studied. An increase of mast cells was noted in congenital diseases; noninfectious erythematous, papullar, and squamous diseases; vascular diseases; bacterial diseases; fungal diseases; lipidoses; metabolic diseases; connective tissue diseases; tumors and cysts of the epidermis; tumors of epidermal appendages; tumors of fibrous tissue; tumors of vascular tissue; and benign tumors of melanocytes. The increase was noted mainly in the surrounding areas of the lesions rather than within the lesions. In only a few conditions; vascular diseases, connective tissue diseases, and tumors of vascular tissue, an increase of mast cells within the lesion was noted. With regard to the relation between mast cell changes and gross appearance of skin lesions, an increase of mast cells was observed in the surrounding areas of scally, vesicular, nodular or warty, and ulcerated lesions. Relationship between the degree of degranulation to the types of skin disease or gross appearance can not be clearly established. In all conditions, the increase of mast cells was intimately associated with formation of new fibrous connective tissue.
Cytoplasmic Granules/pathology ; Human ; Mast Cells/pathology* ; Skin Diseases/pathology*

Mast cell which is considered to participate in immune response has long been studied. However its true role in center nervous system is still unknown. Recently,mast cell has been found to play an important function during the process of multiple sclerosis and Wernicke's encephalopathy in the brain. Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory demyelinating disease, and Wernicke's encephalopathy is caused by deficiency of thiamine. Mast cell deteriorates the neuronal damage and the course of diseases by their mediators. Such studies may supply new idea on the therapy of these diseases.
Animals ; Brain ; pathology ; Humans ; Mast Cells ; metabolism ; pathology ; Multiple Sclerosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; Wernicke Encephalopathy ; metabolism ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the role of mast cells and interleukin-9 (IL-9) in B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL) development and its clinical significance.

METHODSThe expression level of CD117 in tumor tissues of 32 B-NHL patients was determined by Western blot. The infiltration of CD117⁺ mast cells (MCs) in human B-NHL tumor tissues was observed by immunohistochemistry staining. To evaluate the correlations between the data from CD117⁺ MCs and biological markers of human B-NHL, a Spearman correlation coefficient (rs) was calculated. IL-9 levels in sera of B-NHL patients were measured by ELISA. Effects of IL-9 on expressions of functional genes of mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs) were detected by real-time quantitative RT-PCR.

RESULTSThe expression of CD117 was upregulated significantly in human B-cell NHL involved tissues when compared with that of controls (0.0551±0.0064 vs 0.0192±0.0072, P<0.01). Infiltration of more CD117⁺ MCs was found in tissues from B-cell NHL subjects compared with that of controls. IL-9 level in serum samples from patients with B-cell NHL was higher than that from healthy controls. Addition of rIL-9 to the culture gave rise to increase in the purity of mouse BMMCs in the first three weeks. In vitro culture experiments showed that the addition of IL-9 could induce the differentiation of mouse BMMC and the expressions of MC-related genes, including CD117, Fcer1α, Mcpt1 and Mcpt5.

CONCLUSIONOur study showed that IL-9 promoted immune response mediated by MCs, and probably played important roles in B-NHL growth. Pharmacological or targeted inhibition of mast cells or IL-9 activity may provide new strategy for B-cell NHL therapy.

Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Humans ; Interleukin-9 ; blood ; Lymphoma, B-Cell ; pathology ; Male ; Mast Cells ; immunology ; Mice

OBJECTIVETo investigate changes of brain mast cells after transient global ischemia in rats.

METHODSTransient global ischemia damage was induced by four-vessel occlusion. After 1 h to 14 days of ischemia, rats were perfused intracardially by 4% paraformaldehyde. The brains were dissected to serial sections using freeze microtome, and then stained with toluidine blue. Brain mast cell was observed under microscope.

RESULTMost brain mast cells were located in thalamus. The number of mast cells in thalamus markedly decreased during reperfusion after transient global ischemia. However, the degranulation rate of thalamus mast cells showed reverse change after ischemia.

CONCLUSIONBrain mast cells markedly degranulate after transient global ischemia, which may be involved in the pathological process after ischemia.

Animals ; Brain ; pathology ; Cell Degranulation ; Ischemic Attack, Transient ; pathology ; Male ; Mast Cells ; pathology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion Injury ; pathology

To investigate ultrastructural characteristics of mast cells in urticaria pigmentosa in comparison to mast cells in other conditions and to search for the possible differences of ultrastuctural features amog different types of urticaria pigmentosa as well as those from normal mast cells, 4 cases of urticaria pigmentosa and 1 case of mastocytosis associated with capillary hemangioma were studied by both light and electron microscopic examinations. The cases of urticaria pigmentosa consisted of one case of blister type from a 3 month old ma1e infant, 2 cases of maculo-papular type both from 10 month old male infants, and a case of nodular type from a 14 month old boy. Ultrastructural features of mast cells in urticaria pigmentosa, in general; a) appeared relatively immature; b) mast cells in nodular type of urticaria pigmentosa were mostly round shaped while other types showed spindle or oblong shapes; c) mast cells in the maculo-papular type and those in hemangioma were similar and resembled normal mast cells; and d) marked degranulation of mast cells in the form of expulsion of granules, perigranular vacuole formation and intracellular disolution of granules for the blister type of urticaria pigmentosa.
Adolescent ; Cytoplasmic Granules/ultrastructure ; Human ; Male ; Mast Cells/ultrastructure ; Microscopy, Electron ; Urticaria Pigmentosa/pathology*

OBJECTIVEThe aim of this study was to investigate the features of mast cell subtypes and relationship between mast cells and pathogenesis of oral lichen planus.

METHODSMast cells in the tissue of oral lichen planus were stained with Alcian blue/safranine in order to demonstrate mature and immature mast cells, and the constituent ratio of these two subtypes was calculated. Afterwards, LUZEX-F image pattern analysis system was applied to demonstrate the size of these two subtypes and their morphological features.

RESULTSThe constituent ratio of mature and immature types of mast cells in the tissue of oral lichen planus was significantly different from that in the normal tissue (P < 0.01), and such difference was also demonstrated among different types of this malady, including papule-, net- and erosion-type of oral lichen planus (P < 0.05). There was significant difference between the sizes of mature and immature mast cells (P < 0.01) and also the sizes, amount and distribution of the plasma granules within these two mast cells.

CONCLUSIONIt could be implied that mast cells might play a role in the pathogenesis of oral lichen planus.

Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Lichen Planus, Oral ; pathology ; Male ; Mast Cells ; pathology ; Middle Aged ; Mouth Mucosa ; pathology ; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted

OBJECTIVE: To determine the inflammatory cells in the mucosa at the medial aspect of the normal uncinate process compared with that on the protected lateral aspect of the normal uncinate process. METHOD: The mucosa of 20 uncinate process from the nasal cavity of 17 patients with no evidence of sinus disease undergoing functional endoscopic sinus surgery were recruited for the study. The material was stained with HE, Chromotrope 2R, Alcian blue-periodic acid-schiff, Toluidine blue. Specimens were observed using an Olympus microscope. RESULT: The number of mast cells and goblet cells were found to be higher on the lateral aspect of the normal uncinate process than on the medial aspect. The number of plasma cells was obviously different from that of lymphocytes. We did not found any eosinophils on either sides of uncinate process. CONCLUSION There are differences in the number of mast cells and goblet cells between the mucosa at the medial aspect of the normal uncinate process and the mucosa at the protected lateral aspect of the normal uncinate process.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Ethmoid Sinus ; pathology ; Female ; Goblet Cells ; cytology ; pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Mast Cells ; cytology ; pathology ; Middle Aged ; Nasal Mucosa ; pathology ; Paranasal Sinuses ; pathology ; Young Adult

Endometriosis (EMs) is a common gynecologic disease that affects women's physical and mental health seriously. The pathogenesis is still unknown and the mechanism of endometriosis-associated pain remains unclear. Mast cells (MC) are known to be multifunctional players in the immune system. Recent studies have shown that nerve fibers in EMs lesions can release neural peptides such as nerve growth factor and substance P to induce MC degranulating and releasing histamine, proteases, cytokines, chemokines etc., which contributes to the development of pain and hyperalgesia in patients with endometriosis.
Endometriosis ; complications ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Mast Cells ; metabolism ; Nerve Growth Factor ; metabolism ; Pelvic Pain ; etiology ; pathology

Histological studies were carried out on the degranulation of mesenteric mast cells of white rats caused by injections of morphine hydrochbride and meperidine hydrochbride intravenously, intraperitoneally, and by local injection of the rat's mesentery and the following conclusions were obtained. 1. In the groups of intravenous, intraperitoneal, and local injections of morphine hydrochloride, fairly significant degranulation of the mesenteric mast cell was observed, which was probably associated with the concomitant liberation of tissue histamine derived from its source. 2. In the groups of intravenous and intraperitoneal injections of meperidine hydrochbride, the significant degranulation of the mesenteric mast ,cell was recognized. However, the local injections displayed no cytological change of the cell and no increased permeability of dermal capillaries was observed at the injecting site. 3. The degranulation of the mesenteric mast cell followed by an administration of meperidine hydrochloride was effectively inhibited after an adrenalectomy.
Animals ; Female ; Male ; Mast Cells/*drug effects ; Meperidine/*adverse effects ; Mesentery/drug effects/*pathology ; Morphine/*adverse effects ; Rats

OBJECTIVETo investigate the infiltration and prognostic significance of tumor-infiltrating mast cells (TIMs) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

METHODSImmunohistochemistry for tryptase was performed on 154 NPC specimens. The median value of TIM density was used as a cutoff point to separate the patient cohort into two groups with either low or high TIM infiltration. The associations between TIM and clinicopathological factors were analyzed by Mann-Whitney U text. Survival curves were plotted according to the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using the Log-rank test and the Cox proportional hazard models, respectively. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. All statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS 13.0.

RESULTSTIM was mainly in the stroma of NPC and detected in all specimens. The median value of TIM density (25.60/high power field) was used as a cutoff point to separate the patient cohort into two groups with either low or high TIM infiltration. The density of TIM was positively correlated with N stage (Z=-2.193, P<0.05) and clinical stage (Z=-2.551, P<0.05). The 3-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of patients were 64.4% and 55.7% in the high TIM density group; 78.3% and 77.0% in the low TIM density group. For survival evaluation, high density of TIM was associated with worse OS and PFS (P<0.05). Multivariate Cox regression model analysis showed TIM infiltration was an independent risk factor for both OS and PFS.

CONCLUSIONSThe density of TIM in NPC increased with tumor stage. High TIM infiltration was associated with poor overall survival and progression-free survival.

Carcinoma ; Disease-Free Survival ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Mast Cells ; Multivariate Analysis ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Prognosis ; Proportional Hazards Models