Gene expression profiles of human mast cells and basophils

Abstract

Both human mast cells and basophils have metachromatic granules and high-affinity IgE receptors (FcεRI) and play important roles in allergic inflammation. However, comprehensive roles and global molecular expression profiles of these two cell types are largely unknown. We review the recent literature regarding the roles of basophils and mast cells and analyse the whole gene expression (transcriptome) of various cell types using a public database. We found that mast cell samples from different tissues preferentially express a unique set of transcripts distinct from those preferentially expressed by granulocytes including basophils. We also found that basophils strongly express mRNA for cytokines whose receptors mast cells express at high levels. Similarly, mast cells preferentially express chemokines whose receptors basophils express at high levels. Hence mast cells and basophils may play a complementary role in allergic inflammation. Disconnecting the mutual activation of these cell types may be expected to lead to future therapies against allergic diseases. © 2006 The Authors.