What are mast cells? Are they a tiktok trend? Does everyone have them? Let’s take a step back and review what is kown abut mast cells and the conditions related to them.
What are Mast Cells
Mast cells are white blood cells that release chemicals (like histamine) when triggered.
More specifically, mast cells belong to the granulocyte family. The granulocyte family of leukocytes (fancy term for white blood cells) belong to the myeloid lineage of WBCs. The myeloid lineage of cells are responsible for the innate first line of defence for the immune system, imagine it’s the Rapid Response Team of all of the white blood cells in your body, or the RRT of your immune system.
Your myeloid cells are made up of- neutrophils, monocytes, macrophages, and mast cells. They are the first to arrive at sites of infection or injury, providing immediate defense through phagocytosis (when your WBCs engulf and destroy things such as bacteria or debris).
Your mast cells are apart of a long lineage of superhero white blood cells known for keeping your body safe agasint the bacteria, toxins, and debris it recognizes around you or in you.
For example, when you are bitten by a mosquito- your mast cells then release chemicals (in this case, most likely histamine) when it senses the saliva from the mosquito- because it’s a foreign invader. The histamine triggers a swelling in that localized area, trapping the foreign substance (mosquito saliva) in that area, and prevents it from spreading deeper into the body, This then triggers other immune cells to come to the area for it to finish fighting the battle to keep you safe. What we see is a mosquito bite beginning to swell up, itch/burn, etc. But it’s much more complex under the surface.
In MCAS, mast cells often overreact to harmless triggers, release chemicals too easily, too often, or system-wide, and don’t shut off properly. This can cause systemic distress and further complicate matters.
In a condition called mastocytosis, there are WAY too many mast cells in the body- which leads to normal reactions being amplified or made worse- the typical reactions are stronger.
