title: Comparison of platelet-activating factor receptor mRNA levels in peripheral blood eosinophils from normal subjects and atopic asthmatic patients.
abstract: Platelet-activating factor (PAF) modulates the functions of eosinophils, which play an important role in allergic inflammation, through a specific receptor(s) expressed on the cell surface. We compared expression levels of mRNA for the PAF receptor (PAF-R) in peripheral blood eosinophils from atopic asthmatic patients with those from normal healthy subjects using a relative quantification method based on the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). We found that the levels of PAF-R mRNA in eosinophils from the patients were significantly higher than those in normal subjects. These results suggest that the increased expression of PAF-R in eosinophils may be relevant to the pathogenesis of atopic asthma.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Teikyo University, Sagamiko, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kishimoto
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shimadzu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Izumi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sagara
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Makino
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sugiura
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Waku
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010972:Platelet Activating Factor; D010980:Platelet Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D010972:Platelet Activating Factor; D010980:Platelet Membrane Glycoproteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; C039351:platelet activating factor receptor