Williams Timothy J
Biomedical Sciences Division, School of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
J Clin Invest. 2004 Feb;113(4):507-9. doi: 10.1172/JCI21073.
Eosinophils accumulate in high numbers in the lungs of asthmatic patients. These cells have the ability to induce tissue damage, a capacity that relates to their traditional role in host defense against parasitic worms. On the other hand, eosinophils produce growth factors associated with tissue repair and remodeling, notably TGF-beta1. The relationship of these activities to lung dysfunction in asthma is highly controversial, but recent observations in humans and in animal models add spice to the debate.
嗜酸性粒细胞在哮喘患者的肺部大量积聚。这些细胞具有诱导组织损伤的能力,这种能力与其在宿主抵御寄生虫的传统作用有关。另一方面,嗜酸性粒细胞会产生与组织修复和重塑相关的生长因子,尤其是转化生长因子β1。这些活动与哮喘中肺功能障碍的关系极具争议,但最近在人类和动物模型中的观察为这场争论增添了趣味。