Basophils, cytokines, and the allergic inflammatory response.

ABSTRACT

Immediate allergic response has long been recognized to be related to the activation of mast cells by antigen. The role of the mast cells as producers of cytokines, however, has only more recently been extensively studied. The effect of TH2 lymphocytes in the inflammatory process is now well recognized in animal models. The central role of cytokines in the allergic inflammatory response is currently an area of intense clinical investigation. Cytokines influence production, migration, and activation of basophils. A wide array of cytokines is produced by mast cells upon initiation of the immediate allergic response. These cytokines influence a number of other different cells including basophils and eosinophils, and also activate lymphocytes, thus perpetuating allergic inflammation.