Linking Innate and Adaptive Immunity: The Role of Eosinophils

嗜酸性粒细胞功能的公认范式是它们是先天免疫效应细胞，在防御寄生虫和促进过敏反应中起主要作用。在胎儿发育期间小肠中嗜酸性粒细胞的存在和没有寄生虫感染的情况下，这一范式受到了挑战。越来越多的证据表明，嗜酸性粒细胞在维持粘膜屏障的内平衡和诱导适应性免疫反应方面发挥着更广泛的作用。这些概念与嗜酸性粒细胞释放多种细胞因子、趋化因子和促炎介质的能力是一致的。

The accepted paradigm for eosinophil function is that they are innate immune effector cells that play a primary role in defence against parasites and contribute to allergic reactions. This paradigm has been challenged by the presence of eosinophils in the small intestine during fetal development and in the absence of parasitic infections. Evidence is emerging that eosinophils play a much broader role in maintaining the homoestasis of mucosal barriers and the induction of adaptive immune responses. These concepts are consistent with the capacity of eosinophils to release a wide variety of cytokines, chemokines, and pro-inflammatory mediators.