p resendy, the eosinophil is recognized as a proinflammatory granulocyte imphcated in protection against parasitic infection and hkely plays a major rote in allergic diseases, such as bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis (1). The eosinophil is a rich source of cytotoxic proteins, hpid mediators, oxygen metabohtes, and cytokines: all with the potential to induce pathophysio...

Eosinophil degranulation and clusters of free extracellular granules are frequently observed in diverse diseases, including atopic dermatitis, nasal polyposis, and eosinophilic esophagitis. Whether these intact granules are released by necrosis or a biochemically mediated cytolysis remains unknown. Recently, a peptidyl-prolyl isomerase located within the mitochondrial matrix, cyclophilin D (PPI...

Human mast cells (MCs) and eosinophils were first described and named by Paul Ehrlich. These cells have distinct myeloid progenitors and differ morphologically, ultrastructurally, immunologically, biochemically, and pharmacologically. However, MCs and eosinophils play a pivotal role in several allergic disorders. In addition, these cells are involved in autoimmune disorders, cardiovascular dise...

We have recently shown that a proportion of previously designated human eosinophil "(Eo)-type" colonies in methylcellulose contain basophils and histamine (Denburg et al Blood 61:775, 1983). In the present studies, individual Eo-type colonies have been analyzed by cell morphology as well as by biochemical assays for histamine, Charcot-Leyden crystal protein (CLC), and eosinophil granule major b...

After earlier observations that antibody-dependent, cell-mediated damage to 51Cr-labeled schistosomula can be ablated by pretreatment of a mixed preparation of human peripheral blood leukocytes with an anti-eosinophil serum and complement, we investigated the cytotoxic effects of eosinophil-enriched cell preparations. Preparations containing up to 98.5% eosinophils and devoid of neutrophils wer...

Eosinophil migration to the lung is primarily regulated by the eosinophil-selective family of eotaxin chemokines, which mobilize intracellular calcium (Ca(2+)) and orchestrate myriad changes in cell structure and function. Eosinophil function is also known to be flow-dependent, although the molecular cognate of this mechanical response has yet to be adequately characterized. Using confocal fluo...

Sialic acid-binding, Ig-like lectin (Siglec)-F is highly expressed on mouse eosinophils and plays an important role in regulating levels of eosinophilic lung inflammation. In this study we investigated the mechanism of constitutive and inducible Siglec-F ligand expression by lung airway epithelial cells and inflammatory cells in wild-type (WT) and genetically altered mice (ST3Gal-III heterozygo...

Eosinophils store a wide range of preformed proteins, including cationic proteins and cytokines, within their morphologically unique granules. Recently, we have demonstrated that cell-free eosinophil granules are functional, independent, secretory organelles and that clusters of cell-free granules are commonly found at tissue sites associated with various pathologic conditions. Cytolytic releas...

Elucidation of the functions of the eosinophil might be accomplished by analysis of the granule constituents. We have purified eosinophils (93% or greater) from the peritoneal cavity of the guinea pig and have investigated a variety of methods to disrupt cells and liberate intact granules. Lysis in 0.34 M sucrose gave the best yield of granules and these had the characteristic morphology of eos...

Eosinophils preferentially accumulate at sites of chronic allergic diseases such as bronchial asthma. The mechanisms by which selective eosinophil migration occurs are not fully understood. However, interactions of cell-surface adhesion molecules on the eosinophil with molecular counterligands on endothelial and epithelial cells, and on extracellular matrix proteins, are likely to be critical d...