Metachromatic, IgE-bearing and tryptase-containing cells on the nasal mucosal surface in provoked allergic rhinitis.

We studied the relationship between mast cells or basophils and symptoms in provoked allergic rhinitis. Nasal brush and lavage samples were obtained before nasal allergen challenge and every 2 h for 12 h after the challenge in 10 allergics and 3 controls. The cells were identified by their metachromatic staining properties (brush and lavage samples) or with immunohistochemical methods using specific antibodies to IgE and tryptase, a selective mast-cell marker (brush samples). Histamine was determined in the brush samples using liquid chromatography. After an initial decrease, the numbers of metachromatic, IgE-bearing and tryptase-containing cells, as well as the histamine content of the cells in the brush samples, increased during the subsequent observation hours. The prechallenge cell and histamine values correlated with the symptom score 15 min after the challenge. The prechallenge lavage samples lacked metachromatic cells, but these cells were found in increasing numbers after the provocation. Three of the patients differed from the remaining seven in that their prechallenge brush samples contained many positively stained cells. All patients showed a positive cellular response to the allergen challenge, but these three individuals showed the most vivid response. The morphology of the metachromatic cells in the prechallenge brush samples agreed with that of mast cells, but the morphology of metachromatic cells which outnumbered tryptase-containing cells in samples at 8 to 12 h rather agreed with their being basophils.