Histamine content and mast cells in human gastric and duodenal mucosa.

A high histamine content was found in all areas of human gastric and duodenal mucosa. In single subjects there was no general preference of histamine being located predominantly in fundus and corpus. In biopsy specimens of human corpus mucosa many histamine-containing O-PD reactive cells could be identified. In the sections treated previously with O-PD also many toluidine blue staining cells (mast cells) could be visualized. As shown by a transcription technique their place and number was the same as those of O-PD reacting cells. It is concluded that histamine in human corpus mucosa is localized exclusively in mast cells which seem to participate in acid secretion and in duodenal ulcer disease in man.