Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a neurotrophic cytokine known to regulate the survival and function of peripheral and central neuronal cells. Recently, the spectrum of action could be extended to non-neuronal cell types such as rat mast cells and human B lymphocytes. The present study shows that NGF affects the function of mature human basophils isolated from the peripheral blood of healthy donors. Both murine NGF 7S and recombinant human NGF beta enhance histamine release and strongly modulate the formation of lipid mediators by basophils in response to various stimuli. This priming effect of NGF on basophils occurs rapidly within 10 to 15 minutes of preincubation, is dose-dependent, and requires similarly low concentrations (1 to 40 pmol/L) of human NGF beta as the induction of neurite outgrowth in ganglion cells. Cell fractionation studies indicate that NGF acts directly on human basophils without an involvement of other cell types, suggesting the presence of high-affinity NGF receptors on basophils. NGF by itself (up to 4 nmol/L of human NGF beta) does not induce the release of inflammatory mediators directly. The effect of human NGF on basophil mediator release is similar to that of the hematopoietic growth factors interleukin-3, interleukin-5, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor. The present study further demonstrates that NGF acts as a pleiotropic cytokine at the interface between the nervous and the immune system, and that NGF may be involved in inflammatory processes and hypersensitivity reactions.