Mast Cells?

[IDreamInColor]

You sure might, because that's a mast cell reaction, and it makes me wonder if you might possibly have a general mast cell disorder, that could be complicating your MC symptoms. Mast cell issues can make effective treatment a lot more difficult, because it can really confuse the issues.

Tex or anyone else who might know, you wrote the above message on my other post, can you elaborate on the mast cells, but in a way that I can understand? What is a mast cell disorder?

[tex]

Unfortunately, I'm not much of an authority on that topic, but we have several members who probably know as much about it as anyone, except for maybe the top level GI docs who deal with it regularly.

Basically, mast cells are the cells that are involved with ordinary allergic reactions, (the kind that result in a rash, runny nose, watery eyes, or shortness of breath, or hives, or other signs of anaphylaxis). The symptoms occur when an allergen induces the mast cells to "degranulate", and release histamine, which causes the physical symptoms to develop. IOW, mast cell reactions are immediate, (usually within a few minutes after exposure to the allergen), and they can be considered to be histamine-based reactions. The inflammation that causes MC, by contrast, is a much slower reaction, (usually taking several hours or more), and it is a T-cell-based reaction.

A mast cell disorder occurs when someone develops too many mast cells, (within their GI tract), and/or they degranulate when they shouldn't. For someone with a mast cell disorder, foods that contain high amounts of histamines tend to aggravate the problem. At least, I think this is correct. Hopefully, someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

These old threads contain a lot of information about mast cell issues, and there may be others that I didn't locate:

http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewt ... =mast+cell

http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewt ... =mast+cell

http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewt ... =mast+cell

http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewt ... =mast+cell

And of course, this one, which is current:

http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewt ... =mast+cell

Tex

[mbeezie]

Tex,

Your info is correct except that we now know that once can have a normal amount of mast cells and show symptoms of mast cell disorder. I beleive I have a normal number of mast cells but they are very touchy. Once activated they can stay activated for a long period of time.

Mary Beth