title: Evaluation of CCR3 as a basophil activation marker.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recent reports have provided conflicting evidence on the stability of CCR3 expression on the surface of basophils. Hence we wanted to independently evaluate the diagnostic usefulness of CCR3 as a surrogate marker of basophil activation and function.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined the correlative relationship between CCR3 expression on the surface of donor basophils and histamine release after donor basophils were treated with agonistic antibodies directed against the high-affinity IgE-Fc receptor and serum samples from 80 individuals displaying symptoms of chronic urticaria (CU).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed that CCR3 was significantly downregulated on donor basophils treated with the agonistic antibody and CU-patient serum that demonstrated positive "histamine-releasing activity" (HRA scores >10). However, CCR3 downregulation was also observed on donor basophils incubated with more than 40% of CU-patient serum samples with HRA scores less than or equal to 10.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall our data show that CCR3 demonstrates adequate sensitivity (83%) but weak specificity (59%) in its ability to reliably identify histamine-releasing activated basophils.
authors: Department of Pathology, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA. AKhanolkar@luriechildrens.org
authors: Aaruni
authors: A
authors: Khanolkar
authors: Steven J
authors: SJ
authors: Burden
authors: Benjamin
authors: B
authors: Hansen
authors: Andrew R
authors: AR
authors: Wilson
authors: Gregory J
authors: GJ
authors: Philipps
authors: Harry R
authors: HR
authors: Hill
mesh_terms: D001491:Basophils / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D015536:Down-Regulation; D006632:Histamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D006636:Histamine Release / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D054397:Receptors, CCR3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D011961:Receptors, Fc / Q000276:immunology; D017455:Receptors, IgE / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C515350:CCR3 protein, human; D054397:Receptors, CCR3; D011961:Receptors, Fc; D017455:Receptors, IgE; D006632:Histamine
keywords: Basophils; CCR3; Chronic urticaria; Flow cytometry; HRA score; gMFI ratio