Basophils: a potential liaison between innate and adaptive immunity

Activation of innate immunity is closely associated to development of protective adaptive immune response. Significant advances have been made to reveal such links between innate immunity and Th1 type adaptive immune responses. By contrast, the role of innate immunity in the development of Th2 type adaptive immune responses is still not well understood. Production of IL-4, a key cytokine in the induction of Th2 immunity, by innate type cells represents an attractive mechanism for such an innate link to Th2 immunity. We have recently reported that in the course of infection with the intestinal nematode, Nippostrongylus brasiliensis, a robust basophil accumulation in the liver/spleen occurs and that these basophils display enhanced IL-4 production. Thus, the basophils is an attractive candidate to mediate the innate-adaptive link for Th2 responses and understanding the control of the tissue homing patterns and cytokine responses of basophils in the course of infections may shed important light on the in vivo induction of Th2 adaptive immunity.