Studies of nasal surface basophilic cells.

: Nasal surface basophilic cells (NSBC), located in both the mucosal and epithelial layer of the human nasal mucous membrane, were studied to elucidate whether or not they are one kind of mucosal mast cells (MMC). Nasal scrapings were collected and used as specimen of NSBC. The results demonstrate that NSBC had functional properties common to MMC in their response to antigen, formalin and compound 48/80.