Role of Basophils in Human Allergic Disease

The role of mast cells and basophils in human allergic disease is suggested by several lines of evidence. These high-affinity IgE-receptor bearing cells have been implicated in asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis. Experimental investigations of antigen-induced inflammation in vivo have revealed both immediate reactions and so-called late-phase reactions in all organs studied. It is our hypothesis that the immediate hypersensitivity reaction is driven by mast cells while the late-phase reaction, which occurs hours later, is driven, in part, by basophil mediators.