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Eosinophils, sometimes called eosinophiles or, less commonly, acidophils, are a variety of white blood cells and one of the immune system components responsible for combating multicellular parasites and certain infections in vertebrates. [2] Along with mast cells and basophils, they also control mechanisms associated with allergy and asthma.
[1] [2] Along with the other granulocytes, eosinophils are part of the innate immune system and contribute to the defense of the body from pathogens. The most widely understood function of eosinophils is in association with allergy and parasitic disease processes, though their functions in other pathologies are the subject of ongoing research. [3]
Eosinophils play a crucial part in the killing of parasites (e.g., enteric nematodes) because their granules contain a unique, toxic basic protein and cationic protein (e.g., cathepsin [14]); [18] receptors that bind to IgG and IgA are used to help with this task. [19]
Eosinophils are also the predominant inflammatory cells in allergic reactions. The most important causes of eosinophilia include allergies such as asthma, hay fever, and hives; and parasitic infections. They secrete chemicals that destroy large parasites, such as hookworms and tapeworms, that are too big for any one white blood cell to phagocytize.
Antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. Antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), also referred to as antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity, is a mechanism of cell-mediated immune defense whereby an effector cell of the immune system kills a target cell, whose membrane-surface antigens have been bound by specific antibodies. [1]
"Immunity theft" isn't a medical term, but some are using it to describe how certain infections impact the immune system, leaving people more vulnerable to other illnesses.
Interleukin 5 (IL5), also known as eosinophil differentiation factor (EDF), is a lineage-specific cytokine for eosinophilpoiesis. [17] [18] It regulates eosinophil growth and activation, [17] and thus plays an important role in diseases associated with increased levels of eosinophils, including asthma. [18]
Eosinophilic pneumonia can also occur when the immune system attacks the lungs, a disease called eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis. When a cause cannot be found, the eosinophilic pneumonia is termed "idiopathic". Idiopathic eosinophilic pneumonia can also be divided into acute and chronic forms, depending on the symptoms a person is ...