Differences in mast cell-bound IgE in the nasal epithelial layer and lamina propria

Abstract

Mast cells in the allergic nasal mucosa are reported to have higher concentrations of high affinity type I Fce receptors (FcεRI) than mast cells in the non-allergic mucosa. IgE binds to FcεRI on mast cells. However, it is not clear whether different zones within the nasal mucosa harbor different quantities of IgE-bound mast cells. We stained IgE and mast cells from the nasal mucosa of patients with allergic and non-allergic rhinitis using a double-labeling technique with anti-IgE and antitryptase antibodies and compared the intensities of IgE staining of mast cells. In the allergic nasal mucosa, mast cells displayed more IgE staining in the lamina propria than in the epithelial layer. Mast cells displayed more IgE-staining in the allergic nasal mucosa than in the non-allergic mucosa. We speculate that the quantity of IgE that binds to mast cells depends on the quantity of IgE in nasal mucosal tissue.