Characteristics of airway eosinophils.

Eosinophils are important participants and contributors to allergic inflammation in asthma. The mechanisms by which eosinophils migrate to the airway and are activated are not clear. Moreover, there is evidence that eosinophils from the airway are functionally distinct from those cells in circulation. In initial studies, we have found distinct differences in function, cell surface markers, calcium metabolism in response to activation, and survival in eosinophils from the airway. In an attempt to ascertain what factors regulate these phenotypic changes, we have evaluated the effect of cytokines and adhesion on eosinophil function.