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Basophil Activation Test for Allergy Diagnosis
Published on: May 31, 2021
Genetic analysis of basophil function in vivo.
Brandon M Sullivan1, Hong-Erh Liang, Jennifer K Bando
1Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
Nature Immunology
|May 10, 2011
Summary
Basophils contribute to helminth immunity through cytokine production in affected tissues, not by initiating T helper type 2 (T(H)2) responses. Their role is crucial, especially when T helper cell cytokine production is also absent.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cellular Biology
- Parasitology
Background:
- The precise role of basophils in adaptive immunity, particularly in allergic responses and defense against parasitic worms (helminths), is not fully understood.
- Basophils are known to produce key cytokines like interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-13 (IL-13), which are important in T helper type 2 (T(H)2) immune responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the specific contributions of basophils to T(H)2-mediated immunity and helminth expulsion.
- To investigate the mechanisms and tissue localization of basophil cytokine production during immune responses.
Main Methods:
- Utilized sensitive interleukin 4 (IL-4) reporter alleles to track IL-4 production.
- Employed genetic marking and specific deletion strategies to study basophil function in vivo.
- Conducted two-photon imaging to visualize basophil-T cell interactions in lymph nodes and peripheral tissues (lungs).
- Assessed the impact of targeted cytokine deletion in CD4(+) T cells and basophils on helminth clearance.
Main Results:
- Basophil IL-4 production is dependent on CD4(+) T cells and occurs primarily in peripheral tissues, not lymph nodes.
- Basophils do not appear to be essential for initiating T helper type 2 (T(H)2) priming in vivo.
- Two-photon imaging revealed prolonged, serial interactions between basophils and T cells within lung tissues, distinct from lymph node interactions.
- While deleting IL-4 and IL-13 from either CD4(+) T cells or basophils alone had minor effects on worm clearance, simultaneous deletion from both lineages highlighted a nonredundant role for basophil cytokines.
Conclusions:
- Basophils are not primary drivers of T(H)2 priming but contribute significantly to helminth immunity through cytokine production in peripheral tissues.
- The interaction dynamics between basophils and T cells in tissues are critical for effective immune responses against helminths.
- Basophil-derived cytokines play a nonredundant role in primary helminth immunity, particularly when T cell-derived cytokines are also compromised.
