Histamine suppression of in vivo eosinophil accumulation and histamine release in human allergic reactions.

Although it has been shown that histamine inhibits antigen-induced in vitro histamine release from basophils, it is unclear whether histamine inhibits in vivo mediator release in human allergic reactions. We report effects of exogenous histamine on histamine release and inflammatory cell responses in antigen-challenged skin sites in eight ragweed-sensitive individuals. Four heat-suction blisters in each subject were unroofed, and a collection chamber was appended to each blister base. Chamber A contained 1000 PNU/ml ragweed extract; chamber B contained buffered saline (control fluid); chamber C contained 1000 PNU/ml ragweed and 50 ng (5 x 10(-7) M) of histamine; and chamber D contained histamine alone (50 ng). Comparative analyses of chamber histamine levels in individual subjects showed that (1) histamine levels in chamber A were significantly greater than those in chamber B (p less than 0.01) and that histamine levels in chamber C were not significantly different than those in chamber D (p less than 0.5). Likewise, comparison of eosinophils attaching to membrane filters appended to the chamber bases for 2 hr showed that there were significantly more eosinophils in chamber A than in chamber B (p less than 0.01) and that there was no significant difference in eosinophil numbers on filters appended to chamber C vs chamber D. In three of four subjects studied, addition of exogenous histamine (50 ng/ml) to ragweed before intradermal injection inhibited the ultrastructural mast cell alterations seen within 10 min after injection of ragweed alone. In the one subject in which mast cell alterations were not prevented, exogenous histamine also did not inhibit antigen-induced histamine release or subsequent eosinophil accumulation in the skin chambers.