Establishment in culture and characterization of a strain with mast cell and monocytic properties from the bone marrow of a child with diffuse cutaneous mastocytosis

Bone marrow was isolated from a child with congenital mastocytosis. Upon prolonged in vitro culture, initially in the presence of interleukin-3 (IL-3), a population of relatively large fusiform, strongly adherent cells grew out plus a subpopulation of smaller nonadherent cells. The morphology of the adherent cells was not typical of fibroblasts, epithelial cells, nor of standard hematopoietic cell types, whereas the morphology of the nonadherent cells resembled mast cells. Neither cell type required the presence of IL-3 nor a feeder layer of fibroblasts for continued growth. Attempts to isolate the two populations were unsuccessful. This cell strain comprised of both cell populations has been termed human bone marrow-derived mastocytosis cells (HBM-M). These cells were found to possess some of the cytochemical, ultrastructural, and surface phenotypic features of degranulated mast cells. They reacted with the mast cell marker, monoclonal antibody YB5.B8, but not with the basophil specific monoclonal antibody Bsp-1 and released the inflammatory mediators histamine, leukotriene C4, prostaglandin D2, and platelet-activating factor constitutively. This release was not potentiated by immunologic- or nonimmunologic-activating stimuli. In addition, they exhibited cytochemical and surface phenotypic features of monocytes. Our results indicate that a population of abnormal proliferative cells exist in the marrow of this patient; that these cells may be responsible for the patient's pronounced systemic proliferation of mast cells and the associated symptoms; and that the cell's mast cell, monocyte properties may be indicative of a common bone marrow-derived mast cell/monocyte precursor.