KIT and pneumococcal meningitis: Intriguingly though, apart from a slight enhancement of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pleocytosis, neither two different mast cell-deficient Kit mutant mouse strains (WBB6F1-KitW/Wv and C57BL/6 KitW-sh/W-sh mice) nor pharmacologic mast cell stabilization with cromoglycate had any significant impact on the disease phenotype of experimental pneumococcal meningitis.