It has been reported that blood basophils comprise two populations of different densities. In this study, we compared the responses of two populations of basophils (band-1 and 2 basophils) to several secretagogues and anti-allergic agens. Twelve patients with bronchial asthma, 3 patients with Japanese ceder pollinosis and 6 healthy subjects were included in this study. Band-2 basophils collected from the interface between Percoll of density 1.078 and 1.068 g/ml released histamine better in response to anti-IgE than band-1 basophils taken from the interface between plasma and Percoll 1.068 (band 1 vs. band 2, 13.2 ± 2.7 vs. 21.4 ± 3.6 at 1:105, p 4, p –6 M, p –5 M, p O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate than band-2 basophils (67.8 ± 6.3 vs. 53.1 ± 8.4 at 1.0 ng/ml, p < 0.01; 63.9 ± 7.4 vs. 45.2 ± 7.2 at 10 ng/ml, p < 0.01). Band-1 and 2 basophils had similar susceptibility to inhibition by fenoterol, theophylline and disodium cromoglycate of anti-IgE-induced histamine release. These results indicate that human basophils were separated into two subpopulations, low and high density basophils with different sens
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