Mast cells sensitized with serum containing anti-CARDS toxin-specific IgE degranulate in response to CARDS toxin challenge.

<p>BMMCs were sensitized with pooled serum collected from mice 56 days after exposure to CARDS toxin or vehicle. As a negative control, BMMCs were mock sensitized with saline (NT). Sensitized mast cells were then challenged with equimolar amounts of full-length CARDS toxin, C-terminal peptide (amino acid 269–591), N-terminal peptide (amino acid 1–249), HI toxin, vehicle, anti-IgE, ionomycin, and mock challenged (NT). Percent degranulation is extrapolated from hexosaminidase release into the culture supernatant. (***p<0.005, data is presented as the mean and standard deviation of two independent experiments done in triplicate.)