Bronchoalveolar Mast Cells and Asthma

1 Mast Cells and the Allergic Response.- Mast Cell Activation and Mediator Release.- Mast Cell Mediators and Their Antagonists In Vivo and In Vitro.- 2 Mast Cell Heterogeneity.- Morphological Heterogeneity.- Ontogeny of Mast Cells.- Functional Differences.- 3 Superficial Mast Cells and the Asthmatic Response.- Bronchoalveolar Lavage Technique.- Human Bronchoalveolar and Dispersed Lung Mast Cells.- Morphological Heterogeneity of Human Lung Mast Cells.- Human Lung Mast Cells.- Mediator Release from Human Bronchoalveolar Mast Cells.- 4 Some Functional Properties of Human Bronchoalveolar and Dispersed Lung Mast Cells.- Histamine Content and IgE-Dependent Histamine Release.- The Effect of Anti-allergic Compounds.- Nedocromil Sodium.- Salbutamol.- Theophylline.- 5 Hyperosmolar Histamine Release from Human Lung Mast Cells: Its Relevance to Exercise-Induced Asthma.- Mannitol-Induced Histamine Release.- Increased Extracellular Osmolarity and Histamine Release.- 6 Newly Generated Mediators from Human Lung Mast Cells.- Mediator Release from Human Dispersed Lung Mast Cells.- Mediator Release from Human Bronchoalveolar Cells.- Newly Generated Mediators of Immediate Hypersensitivity.- 7 Bronchoalveolar Mast Cells and Asthma.- Extrinsic Asthma.- Intrinsic Asthma.- Effect of Corticosteroids.