Increased Numbers of Both Airway Basophils and Mast Cells in Sputum after Allergen Inhalation Challenge of Atopic Asthmatics

摘要

Mast cells and basophils are metachromatic cells that participate in allergic inflammation. Allergen challenge to the airways of atopic asthmatic individuals increases levels of metachromatic cells, which may reflect an increase in mast cells, basophils, or both. We conducted a study to characterize the kinetics of baso - phil and mast cell recruitmant to the airways of atopic asthmatic subjects after allergen inhalation challenge, using monoclonal an - tibodies specific for each type of cell.