Immunology in the Clinic Review Series; focus on allergies: basophils as
biomarkers for assessing immune modulation.
Author(s): Patil SU, Shreffler WG.
Affiliation(s): Massachusetts General Hospital, Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases,
Boston, MA, USA. spatil35@partners.org
Publication date & source: 2012, Clin Exp Immunol. , 167(1):59-66
Allergen-specific immunotherapy is an effective clinical treatment for
hypersensitivity to many allergens. Studies of basophils during immunotherapy
have provided insight into underlying immune mechanisms and support the potential
use of basophil activation as a biomarker of clinical outcomes. This review
examines the evidence for different pathways of basophil modulation associated
with various forms of immunotherapy. Better understanding the molecular
mechanisms of basophil activation and desensitization and the relationship
between suppression of these effector cells to clinical outcomes holds promise
for further development and improvement in potential therapies for allergic
diseases.
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