Frontiers Mast Cell Activation in Brain Injury, Stress, and Post traumatic Stress Disorder and Alzheimer's Disease Pathogenesis Mast cells in autoimmune disease Nature Mast Cell Activation Syndrome: A Primer for the Gastroenterologist Digestive Diseases and Sciences Springer Nature Link Mast cells are hypersensitive immune cells that release histamine and other inflammatory mediatorsoften in response to oxidative stress, environmental toxins, and immune imbalance. Many patients with MCAS have low levels of glutathione.