Activated T lymphocytes induce degranulation and cytokine production by human mast cells following cell-to-cell contact

Siba P. Bhattacharyya, Ilana Drucker, Tamar Reshef, Arnold S. Kirshenbaum, Dean D. Metcalfe*, Yoseph A. Mekori

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

95 Scopus citations

Abstract

Activated mast cells reside in close apposition to T cells in some inflammatory processes. In this study, we analyzed whether this close physical proximity affects human mast cell degranulation and cytokine release. Thus HMC-1 human mast cells or primary bone marrow-derived human mast cells were cocultured with activated and with resting T cells. Mast cells cocultured with activated T cells released histamine and β- hexosaminidase and produced tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), an effect that peaked at 20 h. Kinetics of histamine release paralleled the formation of heterotypic aggregates. Separation of the two cell populations with a porous membrane prevented mediator release and TNF-α production. Addition of the PI3-kinase inhibitor, wortmannin, inhibited the heterotypic adhesion- associated degranulation but not TNF-α production. These data thus indicate a novel pathway through which human mast cells are activated to both release granule-associated mediators and to produce cytokines in association with heterotypic adhesion to activated human T cells.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)337-341
Number of pages5
JournalJournal of Leukocyte Biology
Volume63
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 1998

Keywords

  • Heterotypic adhesion
  • Histamine
  • Tumor necrosis factor α

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