The Distributional Characteristics of Mast Cells in the Skin of the Human External Auditory Canal

Yoon, Yong Joo

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
: Mast cells are abundant at environmental barrier sites enabling quick reactions to any harmful events. Host defense in the skin may be occupied by the secretions from gland cells of the external ear canal skin. The aim of this study was to localize mast cells in the canal skin and compare it with that found in the ceruminous and sebaceous glands. MATERIALS AND METHOD : The distribution of mast cells (tryptase, chymase) in the external auditory canal skin of the human was observed histologically by means of immunostaining with ABC complex method after fixation with 4% paraformaldehyde solution.
RESULTS
: Mast cells were confined mainly to a dermal layer just beneath the outer layer of keratinizing stratified squamous epithelium. The mast cells also distribute densely in the deeper layer of the dermis of the canal skin more than in the superficial layer. Most of the mast cells were found adjacent to ceruminous glands though some lay scattered in the region of sebaceous glands.
CONCLUSION
: These findings of increased mast cell localization in the deep dermis rather than in the superficial dermis, as well as their concentration around the ceruminous glands, raise the possibility of an interaction between glands and mast cells.