Skip to main content

The role of mast cells in human skin cancers

Abstract

Mast cells (MCs) are immune cells derived from myeloid lineage present in all classes of vertebrates and have emerged preceding much time the development of adaptive immunity. MCs are involved in inflammatory processes, allergic reactions, and host responses to parasites and bacteria infectious diseases. MCs are located at the host-environment interface, at many sites of initial antigen entry, including skin, lung and gastrointestinal tract, and have part of a protective mechanism. Skin has an important role in protecting the host from invasion both as physical barriers and by employing an intricate network of resident immune and non-immune cells include macrophages, T and B lymphocytes, MCs, neutrophils, eosinophils, and Langerhans cells. In this review we discussed the role of MCs in human skin cancers.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

References

  1. Bos JD, Kapsenberg ML. The skin immune system Its cellular constituents and their interactions. Immunol Today. 1986;7:235–40.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Nestle FO, Di Meglio P, Qin J-Z, Nickoloff BJ. Skin immune sentinels in health and disease. Nat Rev Immunol. 2009;9:679–91.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  3. Crivellato E, Ribatti D. The mast cell: an evolutionary perspective. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc. 2010;85:347–60.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Bischoff SC. Physiological and pathophysiological functions of intestinal mast cells. Semin Immunopathol. 2009;31:185–205.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Weber A, Knop J, Maurer M. Pattern analysis of human cutaneous mast cell populations by total body surface mapping. Br J Dermatol. 2003;148:224–8.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Pilkington SM, Barron MJ, Watson REB, Griffiths CEM, Bulfone-Paus S. Aged human skin accumulates mast cells with altered functionality that localize to macrophages and vasoactive intestinal peptide-positive nerve fibres. Br J Dermatol. 2019;180:849–58.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Ito N, Sugawara K, Bodó E, Takigawa M, van Beek N, Ito T, et al. Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone Stimulates the In Situ Generation of Mast Cells from Precursors in the Human Hair Follicle Mesenchyme. J Invest Dermatol. 2010;130:995–1004.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Kallman S. In discussion on Meyers J, Urticaria pigmentosa (case report). Arch Dermatol Chicago. 1960;81:161.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Hashimoto K, Tarnowski WM. Lever WF. Maturation and degranulation of mast cells in the human skin. Electron microscopic studies. Hautarzt. 1967;18:318–24.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Douaiher J, Succar J, Lancerotto L, Gurish MF, Orgill DP, Hamilton MJ, et al. Development of mast cells and importance of their tryptase and chymase serine proteases in inflammation and wound healing. Adv Immunol. 2014;122:211–52.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  11. Weidner N, Austen KF. Heterogeneity of Mast cells at multiple body sites. Pathol Res Pract. 1993;189:156–62.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Flynn EA, Schwartz JL, Shklar G. Sequential mast cell infiltration and degranulation during experimental carcinogenesis. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol. 1991;117:115–22.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Coussens LM, Raymond WW, Bergers G, Laig-Webster M, Behrendtsen O, Werb Z, et al. Inflammatory mast cells up-regulate angiogenesis during squamous epithelial carcinogenesis. Genes Dev. 1999;13:1382–97.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  14. Ribatti D, Crivellato E. Mast cells, angiogenesis, and tumour growth. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2012;1822:2–8.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Hart PH, Townley SL, Grimbaldeston MA, Khalil Z, Finlay-Jones JJ. Mast cells, neuropeptides, histamine, and prostaglandins in UV-induced systemic immunosuppression. Methods. 2002;28:79–89.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Asboe-Hansen G. The origin in synovial mucin; Ehrlich’s mast cell, a secretory element of the connective tissue. Ann Rheum Dis. 1950;9:149–58.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  17. Grebennikov VA, Kuligin AG, Grebennikova NV. Relationship between the state of mast cells and the content of serotonin in the skin of patients with disseminated neurodermatitis. Vestn Dermatol Venerol. 1976:21–6.

  18. Vadivel JK, Govindarajan M, Somasundaram E, Muthukrishnan A. Mast cell expression in oral lichen planus: A systematic review. J Investig Clin Dent. 2019;10:e12457.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Marone G, Casolaro V, Cirillo R, Stellato C, Genovese A. Pathophysiology of human basophils and mast cells in allergic disorders. Clin Immunol Immunopathol. 1989;50:S24-40.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Soter NA. Morphology of atopic eczema. Allergy. 1989;44(Suppl 9):16–9.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Macedo AC, Isaac L. Systemic lupus erythematosus and deficiencies of early components of the complement classical pathway. Front Immunol. 2016;7:55.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  22. Brown M, O’Reilly S. The immunopathogenesis of fibrosis in systemic sclerosis. Clin Exp Immunol. 2019;195:310–21.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Aroni K, Voudouris S, Ioannidis E, Grapsa A, Kavantzas N, Patsouris E. Increased angiogenesis and mast cells in the centre compared to the periphery of vitiligo lesions. Arch Dermatol Res. 2010;302:601–7.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Ghaly NR, Roshdy OA, Nassar SA, Hamad SM, El-Shafei AM. Role of mast cells and T-lymphocytes in pemphigus vulgaris: significance of CD44 and the c-kit gene product (CD117). East Mediterr Health J. 2005;11:1009–17.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Ribatti D, Vacca A, Schiraldi G, Sorino S, Caprio F, Mazzotta F, et al. Pyogenic granuloma stimulates angiogenesis in the chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane. Int J Microcirc Clin Exp. 1996;16:82–8.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Antonopoulos D, Tsilioni I, Balatsos NAA, Gourgoulianis KI, Theoharides TC. The mast cell–neurofibromatosis connection. J Biol Regul Homeost Agents. 2019;33:657–9.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Diaconu NC, Kaminska R, Naukkarinen A, Harvima RJ, Harvima IT. The increase in tryptase- and chymase-positive mast cells is associated with partial inactivation of chymase and increase in protease inhibitors in basal cell carcinoma. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2007;21:908–15.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Harvima IT, Naukkarinen A, Paukkonen K, Harvima RJ, Aalto ML, Schwartz LB, et al. Mast cell tryptase and chymase in developing and mature psoriatic lesions. Arch Dermatol Res. 1993;285:184–92.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Huttunen M, Harvima IT. Mast cell tryptase and chymase in chronic leg ulcers: chymase is potentially destructive to epithelium and is controlled by proteinase inhibitors. Br J Dermatol. 2005;152:1149–60.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Huttunen M, Naukkarinen A, Horsmanheimo M, Harvima IT. Transient production of stem cell factor in dermal cells but increasing expression of Kit receptor in mast cells during normal wound healing. Arch Dermatol Res. 2002;294:324–30.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Yamamoto T, Katayama I, Nishioka K. Expression of stem cell factor in basal cell carcinoma. Br J Dermatol. 1997;137:709–13.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Netscher DT, Spira M. Basal cell carcinoma: an overview of tumor biology and treatment. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2004;113:74e–94e.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Rudolph R, Zelac DE. Squamous cell carcinoma of the skin. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2004:82e–94e.

  34. Wagner JD, Gordon MS, Chuang T-Y, Coleman JJ. Current therapy of cutaneous melanoma. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2000;105:1774–99.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Cawley EP. Association of tissue mast cells and skin tumors. Arch Dermatol. 1961;83:92.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Humphreys TR, Monteiro MR, Murphy GF. Mast cells and dendritic cells in basal cell carcinoma stroma. Dermatol Surg. 2000;26:200–4.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Janowski P, Strzelecki M, Brzezinska-Blaszczyk E, Zalewska A. Computer analysis of normal and basal cell carcinoma mast cells. Med Sci Monit. 2001;7:260–5.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Aoki M, Pawankar R, Niimi Y, Kawana S. Mast cells in basal cell carcinoma express VEGF, IL-8 and RANTES. Int Arch Allergy Immunol. 2003;130:216–23.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Claudatus JC Jr, d’Ovidio R, Lospalluti M, Meneghini CL. Skin tumors and reactive cellular infiltrate: further studies. Acta Derm Venereol. 1986;66:29–34.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Iamaroon A, Pongsiriwet S, Jittidecharaks S, Pattanaporn K, Prapayasatok S, Wanachantararak S. Increase of mast cells and tumor angiogenesis in oral squamous cell carcinoma. J Oral Pathol Med. 2003;32:195–9.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Gomes APN, Johann JE, Lovato GG, Ferreira AM. Comparative analysis of the mast cell density in normal oral mucosa, actinic cheilitis and lip squamous cell carcinoma. Braz Dent J. 2008;19:186–9.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Cheema VS, Ramesh V, Balamurali PD. The relevance of mast cells in oral squamous cell carcinoma. J Clin Diag Res JCDRR. 2012;6:1803–7.

    Google Scholar 

  43. Kathuriya PT, Bartake AR, Palaskar SJ, Narang BR, Patil SS, Pawar RB. Cd34 and mast cell analysis in normal oral mucosa and different grades of oral squamous cell carcinoma: a comparative study. J Clin Diag Res JCDR 2015;9:ZC61–4.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Dvorak AM, Mihm MC, Osage JE, Dvorak HF. Melanoma. An ultrastructural study of the host inflammatory and vascular responses. J Invest Dermatol. 1980;75:388–93.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Reed JA, McNutt NS, Bogdany JK, Albino AP. Expression of the mast cell growth factor interleukin-3 in melanocytic lesions correlates with an increased number of mast cells in the perilesional stroma: implications for melanoma progression. J Cutan Pathol. 2006;23:495–505.

    Google Scholar 

  46. Ribatti D, Ennas MG, Vacca A, Ferreli F, Nico B, Orru S, et al. Tumor vascularity and tryptase-positive mast cells correlate with a poor prognosis in melanoma. Eur J Clin Invest. 2003;33:420–5.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  47. Ribatti D, Vacca A, Ria R, Marzullo A, Nico B, Filotico R, et al. Neovascularisation, expression of fibroblast growth factor-2, and mast cells with tryptase activity increase simultaneously with pathological progression in human malignant melanoma. Eur J Cancer. 2003;39:666–74.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  48. Grimbaldeston MA, Pearce AL, Robertson BO, Coventry BJ, Marshman G, Finlay-Jones JJ, et al. Association between melanoma and dermal mast cell prevalence in sun-unexposed skin. Br J Dermatol. 2004;150:895–903.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  49. Grimbaldeston MA, Skov L, Finlay-Jones JJ, Hart PH. Increased dermal mast cell prevalence and susceptibility to development of basal cell carcinoma in humans. Methods. 2002;28:90–6.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  50. Demis DJ. The mastocytosis syndrome: clinical and biological studies. Ann Intern Med. 1963;59:194.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  51. Castells M, Metcalfe DD, Escribano L. Diagnosis and treatment of cutaneous mastocytosis in children: practical recommendations. Am J Clin Dermatol. 2011;12:259–70.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  52. Bodemer C, Hermine O, Palmerini F, Yang Y, Grandpeix-Guyodo C, Leventhal PS, et al. Pediatric mastocytosis is a clonal disease associated with D816V and other activating c-KIT mutations. J Invest Dermatol. 2010;130:804–15.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  53. Valent P, Horny H-P, Escribano L, Longley BJ, Li CY, Schwartz LB, et al. Diagnostic criteria and classification of mastocytosis: a consensus proposal. Leuk Res. 2001;25:603–25.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  54. Ribatti D, Nico B, Finato N, Crivellato E, Beltrami CA. Co-localization of tryptase and cathepsin-G in mast cells in cutaneous mastocytosis. Cancer Lett. 2009;279:209–12.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  55. Ranieri G, Passantino L, Patruno R, Passantino G, Jirillo F, Catino A, et al. The dog mast cell tumour as a model to study the relationship between angiogenesis, mast cell density and tumour malignancy. Oncol Rep. 2003;10:1189–93.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  56. Patruno R, Arpaia N, Gadaleta CD, Passantino L, Zizzo N, Misino A, et al. VEGF concentration from plasma-activated platelets rich correlates with microvascular density and grading in canine mast cell tumour spontaneous model. J Cell Mol Med. 2009;13:555–61.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  57. Ranieri G, Marech I, Pantaleo M, Piccinno M, Roncetti M, Mutinati M, et al. In vivo model for mastocytosis: a comparative review. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 2015;93:159–69.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  58. Wang Z, Mascarenhas N, Eckmann L, Miyamoto Y, Sun X, Kawakami T, et al. Skin microbiome promotes mast cell maturation by triggering stem cell factor production in keratinocytes. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2017;139(1205–16):e6.

    Google Scholar 

  59. Ribatti D. Mast cells as therapeutic target in cancer. Eur J Pharmacol. 2016;778:152–7.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  60. Somasundaram R, Connelly T, Choi R, Choi H, Samarkina A, Li L, et al. Tumor-infiltrating mast cells are associated with resistance to anti-PD-1 therapy. Nat Commun. 2021;12:346.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

There are not funding to support this work.

Author information

Affiliations

Authors

Contributions

DR involved in conceptualization, conceived the study and wrote the ms; RT, TA and EC involved in revise and editing the ms.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Domenico Ribatti.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

There are not conflict of interests.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ribatti, D., Tamma, R., Annese, T. et al. The role of mast cells in human skin cancers. Clin Exp Med 21, 355–360 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10238-021-00688-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10238-021-00688-x

Keywords

  • Basal cell carcinoma
  • Mast cells
  • Mastocytosis
  • Melanoma
  • Squamous cell carcinoma