Basophil models of homeopathy: a sceptical view.
This paper examines the activation and inhibition of activation of human basophils. After a brief description of human basophils, different methods to determine basophil activation are discussed with a special emphasis on the use of flow cytometric methods, as these circumvent the potential problems of assays based on the loss of colour by activated basophils. The activation of human basophils by ultra-high dilutions of anti-IgE is discussed. The majority of the paper describes the inhibition of basophil activation by ultra-high dilutions of histamine. The results from published papers are described and discussed. After over 20 years research trying to find out if high dilutions of histamine have a negative feedback effect on the activation of basophils by anti-IgE, what do we know? The methods are poorly standardized between laboratories - although the same is true for conventional studies. Certainly there appears to be some evidence for an effect - albeit small in some cases - with the high dilutions in several different laboratories using the flow cytometric methodologies. After standardization of a number of parameters, it is recommended that a multi-centre trial be performed to hopefully put an end to this "never-ending story".
Respiratory Medicine Research Group, Centre for Infection and Immunity, Microbiology Building, The Queen's University of Belfast, Grosvenor Road, Belfast BT12 6BN, Northern Ireland, UK. m.ennis@qub.ac.uk
Madeleine
M
Ennis
D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D001491:Basophils / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006632:Histamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D006705:Homeopathy; D006801:Humans; D010727:Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases / Q000032:analysis; D010980:Platelet Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis; D011755:Pyrophosphatases / Q000032:analysis; D060149:Tetraspanin 30
D015703:Antigens, CD; C554586:CD63 protein, human; C427944:ENPP3 protein, human; D010980:Platelet Membrane Glycoproteins; D060149:Tetraspanin 30; D006632:Histamine; D010727:Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases; D011755:Pyrophosphatases