Am. Frenz et al., THE EFFECT OF RECOMBINANT STEM-CELL FACTOR ON HUMAN SKIN AND LUNG MAST-CELLS AND BASOPHIL LEUKOCYTES, Inflammation research, 46(2), 1997, pp. 35-39
Recombinant human stem cell factor (rhSCF) induced histamine release f
rom human skin and lung mast cells but had no effect on human basophil
leukocytes. More importantly, rhSCF enhanced the release of histamine
in response to IgE-crosslinking of human mast cells. This potentiatio
n was observed at rhSCF concentrations which induced histamine release
, and also at lower concentrations of the ligand which by themself pro
duced no effect. Very limited potentiation was observed with human bas
ophil leukocytes. The enhancing effect of SCF was unique to IgE-depend
ent stimulation and when SCF was incubated with the neurotransmitter s
ubstance P and the calcium ionophore A23187, no augmentation of histam
ine release was observed with any of the cell types tested. These find
ings suggest that endogenous SCF may contribute to the regulation of m
ast cell function and may hence play a role in diverse allergic and in
flammatory reactions.