Immunological aspects of allergic inflammation: eosinophils

Abstract

Increased numbers of eosinophils in the peripheral blood and inflammatory tissue are characteristic features of allergic diseases such as allergic asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and atopic dermatitis. In addition, eosinophils are believed to be of major importance in other inflammatory diseases such as connective tissue diseases of unknown origin such as hypereosinophilic syndromes and bullous dermatoses. Tissue damage and propagation of inflammation is thought to be mediated by the interaction between Th2-like T cells, antigen-presenting cells and eosinophils. In this process, eosinophils are activated by several inflammatory mediators leading to invasion of eosinophils at the site of inflammation and to tissue damaging by the release of reactive oxygen species and toxic granule proteins.