Mast Cells from Human Respiratory Tissue and Their in vitro Reactivity

Abstract

Human respiratory mast cells, which were obtained coincidentally with diagnostic bronchial brush biopsy, were maintained under conditions for short-term tissue culture. Most mast cells were viable and degranulated on exposure to antibody to immunoglobulin E or to the mast cell degranulating agent compound 48-80. The degranulation of human mast cells is characteristically an intracellular process with no extracellular extrusion of granules.