Choi K L, Giorno R, Claman H N
J Immunol. 1987 Jun 15;138(12):4093-101.
Mast cells as studied by light microscopy with metachromatic staining, have been noted to "disappear" from the skin of mice with chronic graft-vs-host disease (GVHD) produced across minor histocompatibility barriers. This mast cell disappearance is accompanied by ultrastructural evidence of loss of granule contents. In this study, we followed cutaneous mast cells in chronic GVHD over 9 mo by three methods: Light microscopy of toluidine blue-stained sections showed that mast cells not seen at day 42 reappeared between days 94 and 125, were supramaximal at days 146 and 164, and returned to normal levels at days 195 and 280. Double immunofluorescent staining of mast cells for the presence of surface IgE receptors and cytoplasmic granules (avidin) revealed IgE receptor-bearing cells that lacked avidin-binding granules at the time when mast cells were not apparent on light microscopy. By electron microscopy, reappearing mast cells have the morphology of immature dermal mast cells. Ultrastructural abnormalities of mast cells persist some 150 days after GVHD induction. The possible relationship of these mast cell changes to the development of dermal fibrosis in chronic GVHD is discussed.
通过异染性染色的光学显微镜研究发现，在通过次要组织相容性屏障产生慢性移植物抗宿主病（GVHD）的小鼠皮肤中，肥大细胞会“消失”。这种肥大细胞的消失伴随着颗粒内容物丢失的超微结构证据。在本研究中，我们通过三种方法对慢性GVHD小鼠皮肤肥大细胞进行了长达9个月的跟踪观察：甲苯胺蓝染色切片的光学显微镜观察显示，在第42天未见的肥大细胞在第94天至125天之间重新出现，在第146天和164天达到最大值以上，并在第195天和280天恢复到正常水平。对肥大细胞进行表面IgE受体和细胞质颗粒（抗生物素蛋白）的双重免疫荧光染色显示，在光学显微镜下肥大细胞不明显时，存在缺乏抗生物素蛋白结合颗粒的IgE受体阳性细胞。通过电子显微镜观察，重新出现的肥大细胞具有未成熟真皮肥大细胞的形态。肥大细胞的超微结构异常在GVHD诱导后约150天持续存在。本文讨论了这些肥大细胞变化与慢性GVHD皮肤纤维化发展之间的可能关系。
