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CD43 (leucosialin, sialophorin) is the major sialoprotein of nearly ail circulating leucocytes and has important biological activities in cellular differentiation and activation. Recently, the expression of CD43 has also been demonstrated on mast cells and basophils by flow cytometry. In order to further characterize mast cell/basophil leucosialin we have investigated CD43 on the human mast cell line HMC-1, the human basophilic precursor cell line KU-812, and the human promonocytic cell line U-937. The apparent molecular weights (MW) were 123,000 (HMC-1 and KU-812) and 144,000 (U-937) by Western blot analysis. Expression of CD43 on HMC-1 was down-regulated after stimulation with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). Three monoclonal antibodies (mAb) specific for human CD43 induced homotypic mast cell line (HMC-1) aggregation in a semi-quantitative assay, a phenomenon that has not been described before with mast cells. Monoclonal antibodies specific for seven other surface antigens and an irrelevant mAb of the same isotype had no effect. The level of aggregation was dependent on anti-CD43 mAb concentration, time and temperature. Anti-leucosialin-induced aggregation of HMC-1 cells was completely inhibited by mAb against CD11a (LFA-1) and CD18 (β2-chain). Monoclonal antibody to CD54 (ICAM-1) partially inhibited anti-CD43-induced homotypic aggregation, while antiCD11b (CR3), anti-CD11c (p 150, 95) and a control mAb had no inhibitory effect. We conclude that mast cell line CD43 antigen expression is differentially regulated during cell activation, and speculate that anti-CD43-induced homotypic aggregation of HMC-1 cells is closely associated with modulation of β2-integrins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]