The gastrointestinal mast cell in health and disease.

Mast cells are metachromatic cells found widely throughout the body. In gastrointestinal tract they reside particularly in mucosa having close contact with external environment. Their certain role in health and disease remains unclear. Mast cells seem to be involved in lots of allergenic and non-allergenic inflammatory events taking place throughout the gastrointestinal tract including IgE-dependent hypersensitivity reaction, gastritis with or without Helicobacter pylori infection, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome. Mast cell involvement in certain inflammatory processes in gastrointestinal tract were reviewed.