Human synovium obtained at arthroplasty from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) were characterized by assessing mast cell morphology, content and function. Histological studies confirmed significant numbers of mast cells in both RA and OA synovium. Electron microscopic data support the morphologic similarity between human synovial mast cells and human mast cells in lung and intestine. Likewise, synovial mast cells do not appear to be functionally different from pulmonary or intestinal mucosal mast cells. Mast cell suspensions with a cellular histamine content of 4.3 +/- 0.5 pg/cell (mean +/- SEM) released histamine following provocation with anti-IgE and calcium ionophore but not compound 48/80, f-met peptide or bradykinin. Prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) and leukotriene C4 (LTC4) were also released in response to anti-IgE. Auranofin inhibited anti-IgE provoked histamine, PGD2 and LTC4 release while gold sodium thiomalate, cromolyn and indomethacin had no effect on histamine release. Theophylline inhibited anti-IgE induced histamine release only at concentrations greater than or equal to 10(-3) M. Our study argues against functional or morphologic mast cell heterogeneity of human intestinal, lung and synovial origin and suggests that mast cells may have a pathogenic role in both RA and OA.