Stereological quantification of mast cells in human synovium

Mast cells participate in both the acute allergic reaction as well as in ch ronic inflammatory diseases. Earlier studies have revealed divergent result s regarding the quantification of mast cells in the human synovium. The aim of the present study was therefore to quantify these cells in the human sy novium, using stereological techniques. Different methods of staining and q uantification have previously been used for mast cell quantification in hum an synovium. Stereological techniques provide precise and unbiased informat ion on the number of cell profiles in two-dimensional tissue sections of, i n this case, human synovium. In 10 patients suffering from osteoarthritis a median of 3.6 mast cells/mm(2) synovial membrane was found. The total numb er of cells (synoviocytes, fibroblasts, lymphocytes, leukocytes) present wa s 395.9 cells/mm(2) (median). The mast cells constituted 0.8% of all the ce ll profiles present in the synovium. A significantly positive correlation w as demonstrated between the number of mast cells and the total number of ce lls. Thus, the present study reports stereological quantification of the ma st cells and the total number of cells in synovium from patients with osteo arthritis. A possible link between the mast cell and osteoarthritis is disc ussed upon obtaining a precise estimate of cell profiles in human synovium.