[Electron microscopic structure of mastocytes of the airways and changes in the clinical status during steroid...

The structure of epithelial mast cells obtained by bronchial biopsy from asthmatic patients reveals characteristic qualitative and quantitative features. Great amount of partly or completely depleted mast cells can be observed in active asthmatic patients, indicating the liberation of bronchoconstrictive mediators. After a two months treatment with inhalative steroid (budesonide) the process of degranulation slows down, the number of depleted mast cells decreases. Parallel with the above described phenomenon, the number of dyspneic attacks, as well as the necessity of other antiasthmatic drugs show a significant decrease. However, in this patient material, during the treatment period, airway hyperreactivity, detected by bronchial provocation, failed to show any remarkable change.