AIRWAY MUCOSA CELLS PRODUCE CHEMOTACTIC FACTOR(S) FOR MAST CELLS.

在包括支气管哮喘在内的变应性疾病中，支气管黏膜的气道肥大细胞可能通过释放多种介质和细胞因子参与疾病的发病。尽管近年来气道肥大细胞与支气管周围纤维化之间的关系已得到强调，但尚不清楚气道粘膜中哪些类型的细胞能够为这些肥大细胞释放趋化因子。本研究在体外培养支气管上皮细胞、成纤维细胞和血管内皮细胞，并测定了这些细胞在培养上清条件培养基中的趋化活性。结果表明，支气管上皮细胞、成纤维细胞和血管内皮细胞可释放对肥大细胞的趋化活性，其中一种来自上皮细胞的强效趋化因子为纤维连接蛋白。此外，还证实了Src家族酪氨酸激酶Lyn在细胞内信号转导过程中可以控制纤维连接蛋白导向的肥大细胞趋化。如何控制肥大细胞趋化性在支气管哮喘等变应性气道疾病中的作用，将是今后需要解决的问题。

In the allergic diseases, including bronchial asthma, the airway mast cells in the bronchial mucosa may contribute to the pathogenesis of such diseases by releasing a variety of mediators and cytokines. Although the relation between airway mast cells and the peribronchial fibrosis have recently been highlighted, it is not known which types of cells in the airway mucosa are capable of releasing chemotactic factor(s) for those mast cells. In the present study, we cultured bronchial epithelial cells, fibroblasts and vascular endothelial cells in vitro, and assayed for the chemotactic activity in the culture supernatant conditioned media of those cells. The results demonstrated that bronchial epithelial cells, fibroblasts and vascular endothelial cells can release chemotactic activity for mast cells, and one of the potent chemotactic factor derived from epithelial cells was identified as fibronectin. In addition, it was certified that the fibronectin-directed mast cell chemotaxis could be controlled by the Src family tyrosine kinase, Lyn, during the intracellular signal transduction. It will be the future problem how we should manage for the mast cell chemotaxis in the allergic airway disease such as bronchial asthma.