Mast cells from human gastric mucosa: a comparative study with lung and colonic mast cells.

Mast cells isolated from human gastric mucosa released histamine on challenge with IgE-directed ligands and calcium ionophores but were essentially unresponsive to a variety of non-immunological stimuli. Moreover, immunologically induced histamine secretion from these cells was inhibited by a number of anti-allergic agents including anti-asthmatic chromones, beta-adrenoceptor agonists and phosphodiesterase inhibitors. In total, these data indicate that mast cells from the human gastric mucosa are in many respects functionally similar to their lung and colonic counterparts.