Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry, Vol. 51, 643-653, May 2003, Copyright © 2003, The Histochemical Society, Inc.
An Antibody Raised Against In Vitro-derived Human Mast Cells Identifies Mature Mast Cells and a Population of Cells that are Fc
RI+, Tryptase-, and Chymase- in a Variety of Human Tissues
Jian Cheng Qia,
Lixin Lia,
Yong Lia,
Kate Mooreb,
Michele C. Madiganc,
Gregory Katsoulotosa, and
Steven A. Krilisa
a The Department of Medicine, Department of Immunology, Allergy, and Infectious Diseases, The University of New South Wales, New South Wales, Australia
b Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, St. George Hospital, Kogarah, New South Wales, Australia
c Department of Clinical Ophthalmology, Save Sight Institute, Sydney University, Sydney, Australia
Correspondence to:
Steven A. Krilis, Dept. of Immunology, Allergy, and Infectious Disease, St George Hospital, Kogarah, NSW 2217, Australia. E-mail: s.krilis@unsw.edu.au
Selective markers for human mast cells are of paramount importance for understanding their role in physiological and pathological processes. A mouse monoclonal antibody (MAb) designated 2C7, raised against in vitro-derived human mast cells, was used in immunoenzymatic analysis of sections from a variety of human organs. Double immunolabeling with 2C7 and tryptase, chymase, Fc
RI
, and c-kit was performed on cryostat tissue sections from skin, colon, uterus, breast, stomach, bladder, and lung. MAb 2C7 stained greater than 93% of the tryptase+ or chymase+ mast cells in all tissues examined. In addition, the majority of cells stained with the tryptase or chymase also stained for Fc
RI
. However, there were a significant number of Fc
RI
1 cells in all tissues studied that were tryptase- and/or chymase-. In contrast, MAb 2C7 in double immunoenzymatic staining co-localized with 9396% of the Fc
RI
1 cells in all tissues. Analysis for c-kit expression on the different tissues revealed that the majority of tryptase+ or chymase+ cells in skin, uterus, bladder, and lung stained with c-kit. However, only approximately 7078% of tryptase+ cells in colon and stomach were c-kit+. These data suggest that MAb 2C7 appears to identify mature mast cells and a population of Fc
RI
1, chymase-, and tryptase- cells in a variety of human tissues. (J Histochem Cytochem 51:643653, 2003)
Key Words:
mast cells, mast cell progenitor, monoclonal antibody, tryptase, chymase, high-affinity IgE receptor, c-kit, CD34, Bsp-1, peripheral blood mononuclear, cells