Chemokines are proinflammatory peptides regulating the functions of va
rious hematopoietic cells. We have analyzed the effects of seven recom
binant human (rh) chemokines (MCAF, RANTES, MIP-1 alpha, MIP-1 beta, I
L-8, GRO, and IP-10) on the growth and function of human basophils and
mast cells. We found that MCAF, but not RANTES, MIP-1 alpha, MIP-1 be
ta, IL-8, GRO, or IP-10, causes direct and dose-dependent histamine re
lease from basophils (MCAF, 5 mu g/ml: 26.9 +/- 3.4%; other chemokines
: < 5% of total histamine). An increased (2.1 to 3.5-fold) response to
MCAF was obtained when basophils were preincubated with rh interleuki
n-3 (100 units/ml). Moreover, IL-3-primed basophils became responsive
to physiologic concentrations (< 1 mu g/ml) of MCAF, IL-8, and RANTES.
None of the chemokines tested was able to induce histamine secretion
in mast cells obtained from lung (n = 2), skin (n = 1), uterus (n = 3)
, or tonsils (n = 3), even when cells had been preincubated with the m
ast cell agonist SCF. The chemokines also failed to modulate the expre
ssion of activation antigens (CD11b/C3biR, CD25/IL-2R beta, CD63, IL-3
R alpha, CD117/c-kit) on the mast cell line HMC-1 or the basophil cell
line KU-812 and were unable to induce differentiation of basophils or
mast cells in culture. Together, our results show that basophils resp
ond to rhIL-8, rhMCAF, and rhRANTES and that, unlike human basophils,
human mast cells are unresponsive to recombinant chemokines.