A detailed method for isolation and purification of human cutaneous mast cells.

Mast cells play an important role in immediate and late type allergic reactions. Most of our knowledge on properties of mast cells was derived from animal models and these methods have some limitations. We aimed to describe a modified and improved in vitro method for isolation and purification of human skin mast cells. Human neonatal foreskins were digested and isolated by using an enzymatic dispersion procedure. Then they were purified by density centrifugation through Percoll gradients. Spontaneous and ionophoreinduced histamine releases from both unpurified and purified mast cell preparations were assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. This technique produced reproducible and satisfactory results for isolation, purification, and stimulation of human skin mast cells in a good yield with an excellent viability. In this article, this detailed in vitro method for studies on human skin mast cell was described. It is hoped that newly-developed in vitro and in vivo methods will increase the knowledge about the role of human skin mast cells. [Journal of Turgut Özal Medical Center 1996;3(3):143-150]