title: Basophils orchestrate chronic allergic dermatitis and protective immunity against helminths.
abstract: Basophils are associated with T helper 2 (Th2) cell-polarized immune responses such as allergic disorders or helminth infections. To directly address the role of basophils for type 2 immunity, we generated transgenic mice with constitutive and selective deletion of basophils. Differentiation and accumulation of Th2 cells, induction of eosinophilia, and increase in serum IgE or IgG1 induced by allergens or by infection with the helminth Nippostrongylus brasiliensis appeared to be basophil independent. Further, basophils were not required for passive IgE- or IgG1-mediated systemic anaphylaxis. However, basophils were essential for IgE-meditated chronic allergic dermatitis and for protection against secondary infection with N. brasiliensis. These results demonstrate that basophils play an important role for protective immunity against helminths and orchestrate chronic allergic inflammation, whereas primary Th2 cell responses can operate efficiently in the absence of this cell type.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Immunology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Caspar
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ohnmacht
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Panzer
authors.forename: Isabell
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Schiedewitz
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Naumann
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Voehringer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000209:etiology; D001491:Basophils / Q000502:physiology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000502:physiology; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000276:immunology*; D056724:Immunity, Humoral; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009559:Nippostrongylus / Q000276:immunology*; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000276:immunology; D010206:Papain / Q000494:pharmacology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D010047:Ovalbumin; D010206:Papain