Kay A Barry, Phipps Simon, Robinson Douglas S
Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Imperial College London, National Heart & Lung Institute, Guy Scadding Building, Dovehouse Street, London, UK.
Trends Immunol. 2004 Sep;25(9):477-82. doi: 10.1016/j.it.2004.07.006.
Over the years, the role of the eosinophil in asthma and allergic processes has been disputed. Recent human experiments using a humanised monoclonal antibody to interleukin-5 (IL-5), and animal studies involving specific IL-5 gene deletion, indicates that eosinophils might control downstream repair and remodelling processes. Eosinophils are a rich source of fibrogenic factors, particularly transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), the latent form of which is activated by epithelial-cell expression of the intergin alpha(v)beta(6). The emerging role for the eosinophil in airway remodelling might be important in future anti-asthma strategies. However, more effective eosinophil-depleting agents than anti-IL-5 are required before the definitive role of this cell type in asthma airway pathophysiology can be established.
多年来，嗜酸性粒细胞在哮喘和过敏过程中的作用一直存在争议。最近使用抗白细胞介素-5（IL-5）人源化单克隆抗体的人体实验以及涉及特定IL-5基因缺失的动物研究表明，嗜酸性粒细胞可能控制下游的修复和重塑过程。嗜酸性粒细胞是促纤维化因子的丰富来源，尤其是转化生长因子-β（TGF-β），其潜在形式可通过整合素α(v)β(6)的上皮细胞表达而被激活。嗜酸性粒细胞在气道重塑中的新作用可能对未来的抗哮喘策略很重要。然而，在确定这种细胞类型在哮喘气道病理生理学中的明确作用之前，需要比抗IL-5更有效的嗜酸性粒细胞清除剂。
