International archives of allergy and immunology
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Int. Arch. Allergy Immunol. · Nov 2004
Mast cell tryptase activates peripheral blood eosinophils to release granule-associated enzymes.
Mast cells and eosinophils are important effector cells in asthma. Understanding their interactions is essential for studying asthma pathophysiology. Inflammatory mediators released from mast cells, such as arachidonic acid metabolites, TNF and IL-5, are important in eosinophil biology. However, little is known about the effects of mast cell-specific mediators, such as tryptase, on eosinophils. Our objective was to investigate the effects of mast cell tryptase on human peripheral blood eosinophils. ⋯ Our data indicate that mast cell tryptase may affect eosinophil activation status independently of PAR-2.