Regulation of FcεRI Expression on Monocytic Cell Lines

The high affinity receptor for IgE, Fc epsilon RI, as one of the key structures involved in allergic inflammation has become a focus of immunological research. Human Fc epsilon RI expression, initially thought to be limited to mast cells and basophils as an alpha beta gamma gamma Fc epsilon RI complex, has now clearly been demonstrated on Langerhans' cells, dendritic cells and monocytes [reviewed in 2]. On these cells, however, the lack of beta -chain protein from the Fc epsilon RI complex is held responsible for structural and functional differences. The recent establishment of Fc epsilon RI-expressing human monocytic cell lines allows for the confirmation of experiment results, obtained in the 'classical' Fc epsilon RI model, the rat basophilic leukemia cell.