Alveolar mast cells shift to an FcεRI-expressing phenotype in mild atopic asthma: a novel feature in allergic asthma pathology.
Background: A unique feature of alveolar mast cells is their low high-affinity IgE receptor (FcεRI) expression. Recent discoveries in uncontrolled asthma suggest that the appearance of FcεRI-expressing alveolar mast cells may be a novel disease-specific feature of allergic asthma. This study investigates whether increased FcεRI-expressing alveolar mast cells are present in patients with mild aller