Mast cell activation disease

Mast cells are multifunctional cells that initiate not only IgE dependent allergic diseases but also play a fundamental role in innate and adaptive immune responses to microbial infection. They are also thought to play a role in angiogenesis, tissue remodeling, wound healing, and tumor repression or growth. The broad scope of these physiologic and pathologic roles illustrates the flexible nature of mast cells, which is enabled in part by their phenotypic adaptability to different tissue microenvironments and their ability to generate and release a diverse array of bioactive mediators (Figures 1 and 2) in response to multiple types of cell surface and cytosolic receptors. Mast cells are tissue fixed effector cells of allergic and other inflammatory reactions. In common with blood basophils mast cells express high affinity IgE-binding sites and store numerous proinflammatory and vasoactive mediators in their metachromatic granules.