Mast cell biology: introduction and overview.

In recent years, the field of mast cell biology has expanded well beyond the boundaries of atopic disorders and anaphy laxis, on which it has been historically focused. The biochemical and signaling events responsible for the development and regulation of mast cells has been increasingly studied, aided in large part by novel breakthroughs in laboratory techniques used to study these cells. The result of these studies has been a more comprehensive definition of mast cells that includes added insights to their overall biology as well as the various disease states that can now be traced to defects in mast cells.

Collagen distribution and expression of collagen-binding alpha1beta1 (VLA-1) and alpha2beta1 (VLA-2) integrins on CD4 and CD8 T cells during influenza infection.

Most viral infections occur in extralymphoid tissues, yet the mechanisms that regulate lymphocytes in these environments are poorly understood. One feature common to many extralymphoid environments is an abundance of extracellular matrix. We have studied the expression of two members of the beta(1) integrin family of collagen-binding receptors, alpha(1)beta(1) and alpha(2)beta(1) (CD49a, VLA-1 and CD49b, VLA-2, respectively), on CD4 and CD8 T cells during the response to influenza infection in the lung.