title: Basophils are not the key antigen-presenting cells in allergic patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent data obtained in mouse models have initiated a controversy whether basophils are the key antigen-presenting cells (APCs) in allergy. Here, we investigate whether basophils are of importance for the presentation of allergen and the induction of T cell proliferation in allergic patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  T cells, basophils, and APCs depleted of basophils were purified from allergic patients. Co-culture systems based on purified major allergens were established to study allergen-specific T cell responses using proliferation assays.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only co-cultures of T cells with APCs depleted of basophils but not with basophils proliferated in response to allergen. Even addition of IL-3 to T cell-basophil co-cultures failed to induce allergen-specific T cell proliferation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data demonstrate by classical in vitro proliferation assays that basophils are not key antigen-presenting cells that promote T cell proliferation in secondary immune responses to allergen in allergic patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Medical University of Vienna, AKH, Vienna, Austria. julia.eckl-dorna@meduniwien.ac.at
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Eckl-Dorna
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ellinger
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Blatt
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ghanim
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Steiner
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pavelka
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Valent
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Valenta
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Niederberger
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D052179:Antigens, Plant / Q000276:immunology; D001491:Basophils / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology*; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D052179:Antigens, Plant; D000939:Epitopes; C061312:Bet v 1 allergen, Betula