Chapter 3 Biology of the Eosinophil
Section snippets
Eosinophil Differentiation
Eosinophils are produced in the bone marrow from multipotent hematopoietic stem cells. Hematopoietic differentiation involves the commitment of multipotent progenitors to a given lineage, followed by the maturation of the committed cells. From these stem cells, the myeloid lineage allows the development of the myeloblast with shared properties of basophils and eosinophils, and then into a separate eosinophil lineage (Boyce et al., 1995). Each of the steps that ultimately lead to mature
A Role for Eosinophils at Baseline
Some organs are rich in eosinophils, such as the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, spleen, lymph nodes, thymus, mammary glands, and uterus. Their presence in normal conditions suggests a role for eosinophils in some homeostatic processes.
Antigen Presentation/T Cell Proliferation
Early studies on the role of eosinophils in antigen presentation and T cell activation have raised controversy. Eosinophils can effectively present soluble antigens to CD4+ T cells, promoting T cell proliferation and polarization (Sanderson, 1992, van Rijt et al., 2003). But the ability of eosinophils to present antigen seems closely linked to the extraction methods. The use, in the lysis buffer, of amonium chloride, an inhibitor of lysosome acidification (needed for antigen presentation),
Eosinophil Trafficking
The trafficking of eosinophils involves three interacting components: (1) cytokines that upregulate chemokines, (2) chemokines that activate eosinophils, and (3) adhesion molecules and other molecules (Fig. 3.2).
Role of Eosinophils in Disease
Eosinophils are multifunctional leukocytes implicated in the pathogenesis of numerous inflammatory processes (Fig. 3.3).
Therapeutics Available
Several therapeutics help in the control of systemic and tissue eosinophilia (Rothenberg and Hogan, 2005).
- (1)
Glucocorticoids are the most common agents for reducing eosinophilia (Rothenberg, 1998). They seems to act on the transcription of a number of genes for inflammatory mediators including the genes for IL‐3, IL‐4, IL‐5, GM‐CSF, and various chemokines including the eotaxins. Glucocorticoids have also been shown to destabilize the mRNA of eosinophil active cytokines; thus, reducing the
Acknowledgments
The Authors wish to thank the whole eosinophil field that built the concepts presented. Andrea Lippelman, Katherine Henderson, and LaWanda Bryant for administrative assistance.
This work was supported by in part by the Thrasher Research Fund NR‐0014 (C.B.), the PHS Grant P30 DK0789392 (C.B.), the NIH AI079874‐01 (C.B.) AI070235, AI45898, and DK076893 (M.E.R.), the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (M.E.R.), Campaign Urging Research for Eosinophil Disorders (CURED), the Buckeye Foundation
References (217)
- et al.
Topical viscous budesonide suspension for treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis
J. Allergy Clin. Immunol.
(2005) - et al.
The injurious effect of eosinophil peroxidase, hydrogen peroxide, and halides on pneumocytes in vitro
J. Allergy Clin. Immunol.
(1987) - et al.
Epicutaneous aeroallergen exposure induces systemic TH2 immunity that predisposes to allergic nasal responses
J. Allergy Clin. Immunol.
(2006) - et al.
Epicutaneous antigen exposure primes for experimental eosinophilic esophagitis in mice
Gastroenterology
(2005) - et al.
Eosinophils express a functional receptor for interferon alpha: Inhibitory role of interferon alpha on the release of mediators
Blood
(1996) - et al.
The role of eosinophils in parasitic helminth infections: Insights from genetically modified mice
Parasitol. Today
(2000) - et al.
Human milk-specific mucosal lymphocytes of the gastrointestinal tract display a TH2 cytokine profile
J. Allergy Clin. Immunol.
(2002) - et al.
Periostin facilitates eosinophil tissue infiltration in allergic lung and esophageal responses
Mucosal. Immunol.
(2008) - et al.
IL-13 involvement in eosinophilic esophagitis: Transcriptome analysis and reversibility with glucocorticoids
J. Allergy Clin. Immunol.
(2007) - et al.
Eosinophilic esophagitis: Pathogenesis, genetics, and therapy
J. Allergy Clin. Immunol.
(2006)
The role of adhesion molecules in human eosinophil and basophil recruitment
J. Allergy Clin. Immunol.
Nerve growth factor induces the expression of certain cytokine genes and bcl-2 in mast cells. Potential role in survival promotion
J. Biol. Chem.
Eotaxin-3 gene polymorphisms are associated with rheumatoid arthritis in a Korean population
Hum. Immunol.
Interactions of eosinophil granule proteins with skin: Limits of detection, persistence, and vasopermeabilization
J. Allergy Clin. Immunol.
Novel combinatorial interactions of GATA-1, PU.1, and C/EBPepsilon isoforms regulate transcription of the gene encoding eosinophil granule major basic protein
J. Biol. Chem.
Effect of intravenous administration of an anti-IL-5 (mepolizumab) on allergen-induced tissue eosinophilia, the late-phase allergic reaction and the expression of a marker of repair/remodeling in human atopic subjects
J. Allergy Clin. Immunol.
Interleukin-5 and eosinophils as therapeutic targets for asthma
Trends Mol. Med.
CXCL9 inhibits eosinophil responses by a CCR3- and Rac2-dependent mechanism
Blood
First International Gastrointestinal Eosinophil Research Symposium (FIGERS) Subcommittees. Eosinophilic esophagitis in children and adults: A systematic review and consensus recommendations for diagnosis and treatment
Gastroenterology
The eosinophilic leukocyte: Structure and function
Adv. Immunol.
Treatment of hypereosinophilic syndrome with imatinib mesilate
Lancet
Histopathologic variability and endoscopic correlates in adults with eosinophilic esophagitis
Gastrointest. Endosc.
Cytotoxicity of human eosinophil granule major basic protein to human nasal sinus mucosa in vitro
J. Allergy Clin. Immunol.
Effects of nerve growth factor on rat peritoneal mast cells. Survival promotion and immediate-early gene induction
J. Biol. Chem.
Treatment of asthma with nebulized lidocaine: A randomized, placebo-controlled study
J. Allergy Clin. Immunol.
A controlled trial of the effect of the 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor, zileuton, on lung inflammation produced by segmental antigen challenge in human beings
J. Allergy Clin. Immunol.
The eosinophil: a cytokine-producing cell
J. Allergy Clin. Immunol.
A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Fluticasone Propionate for Pediatric Eosinophilic Esophagitis
Gastroenterology
IL-5-deficient mice have a developmental defect in CD5+ B-1 cells and lack eosinophilia but have normal antibody and cytotoxic T cell responses
Immunity
Comparative toxicity of purified human eosinophil granule cationic proteins for schistosomula of Schistosoma mansoni
Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg.
Ovalbumin sensitization changes the inflammatory response to subsequent parainfluenza infection. Eosinophils mediate airway hyperresponsiveness, m(2) muscarinic receptor dysfunction, and antiviral effects
J. Exp. Med.
Intestinal macrophage/epithelial cell-derived CCL11/eotaxin-1 mediates eosinophil recruitment and function in pediatric ulcerative colitis
J. Immunol.
The chemokine RANTES is a crucial mediator of the progression from acute to chronic colitis in the rat
J. Immunol.
Beta 7 integrin-deficient mice: Delayed leukocyte recruitment and attenuated protective immunity in the small intestine during enteric helminthic infection
Eur. J. Immunol.
Intracrine cysteinyl leukotriene receptor-mediated signaling of eosinophil vesicular transport-mediated interleukin-4 secretion
J. Exp. Med.
Sulfonylureas inhibit cytokine-induced eosinophil survival and activation
J. Immunol.
Steroid resistance in asthma
QJM
Toll-like receptor 4 signaling by intestinal microbes influences susceptibility to food allergy
J. Immunol.
Interleukin 5 modifies histamine release and leukotriene generation by human basophils in response to diverse agonists
J. Exp. Med.
Inhibition of human interleukin-13-induced respiratory and oesophageal inflammation by anti-human-interleukin-13 antibody (CAT-354)
Clin. Exp. Allergy
Eotaxin-3 and a uniquely conserved gene-expression profile in eosinophilic esophagitis
J. Clin. Invest.
Differentiation in vitro of hybrid eosinophil/basophil granulocytes: Autocrine function of an eosinophil developmental intermediate
J. Exp. Med.
Mast-cell infiltration of airway smooth muscle in asthma
N. Eng. J. Med.
The eosinophil and its role in immunity to helminth infection
Curr. Top. Microbiol. Immunol.
Cell-mediated damage to helminths
Adv. Parasitol.
Cooperation between interleukin-5 and the chemokine eotaxin to induce eosinophil accumulation in vivo
J. Exp. Med.
A tyrosine kinase created by fusion of the PDGFRA and FIP1L1 genes as a therapeutic target of imatinib in idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome
N. Engl. J. Med.
The FIP1L1-PDGFRalpha kinase in hypereosinophilic syndrome and chronic eosinophilic leukemia
Curr. Opin. Hematol.
Interleukin 4, but not interleukin 5 or eosinophils, is required in a murine model of acute airway hyperreactivity
J. Exp. Med.
Cloning, expression, and characterization of the human eosinophil eotaxin receptor
J. Exp. Med.
Cited by (280)
Eosinophilic Lung Diseases
2023, Immunology and Allergy Clinics of North AmericaAllergy cells: an update on mast cells and eosinophils
2022, Revue Francaise d'Allergologie