title: Chemical mediators in hypersensitivity reactions.
abstract: The study of chemical mediators is essential in clarifying the mechanism of hypersensitivity reactions. Recent advances in this field have been made particularly with the arachidonic acid metabolites, several of which strongly contract smooth muscle, attract granulocytes to inflammatory foci and lead to increased vascular permeability. These functions play a crucial role in allergic reactions. Furthermore these mediators might work to modulate the intracellular network which mediates the complicated inflammatory process of hypersensitivity reactions.
authors.affiliation: Division of Allergy, National Children's Medical Research Center, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nagakura
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ebisawa
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Reason
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Iikura
mesh_terms: D012898:Autacoids / Q000502:physiology; D002199:Capillary Permeability; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology*; D010972:Platelet Activating Factor / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D012898:Autacoids; D010972:Platelet Activating Factor