HISTOLOGY AND HISTOPATHOLOGY

Cellular and Molecular Biology

 

Review

The mast cell: an active participant or an innocent bystander?

E. Crivellato1, C.A. Beltrami2, F. Mallardi1 and D. Ribatti3

1Department of Medical and Morphological Research, Anatomy and 2Pathology Sections, University of Udine Medical School,
Udine, Italy and 3Department of Human Anatomy and Histology, University of Bari Medical School, Bari, Italy

Offprint requests to: Dr. Enrico Crivellato, Dipartimento di Ricerche Mediche e Morfologiche, Sezione di Anatomia, P.le Kolbe, n. 3, 33100 Udine, Italy. Fax: +39 0432 494201. e-mail: enrico.crivellato@drmm.uniud.it

 

Summary. Mast cells (MC) are phylogenetically old cells which are distributed throughout the human organism and, on the whole, occupy roughly the volume of the spleen. MC have long been recognized as key cells of type I hypersensitivity reactions. Several lines of evidence, however, indicate that they not only express critical effector functions in classic IgE-associated allergic disorders, but also play important roles in host defence against parasites, bacteria and perhaps even viruses. Indeed, it is now clear that MC can contribute to host defence in the context of either acquired or innate immune responses through the release of a myriad of pro-inflammatory and immunoregulatory molecules and the expression of a wide spectrum of surface receptors for cytokines and chemokines. Moreover, there is growing evidence that MC exert distinct non-immunological functions, playing a relevant role in tissue homeostasis, remodeling and fibrosis as well as in the processes of tissue angiogenesis. In this review, we provide a small insight into the biology of human MC and their potential implications in clinical pathology. Histol. Histopathol. 19, 259-270 (2004)

Key words: Mast cell, Structure, Function, Pathology

DOI: 10.14670/HH-19.259