GM Moller, TA de Jong, TH van der Kwast, SE Overbeek, AF Wierenga-Wolf, T Thepen and HC Hoogsteden
Department of Pulmonary Diseases, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Several studies have shown that human eosinophils can synthesize and release a number of cytokines. The aim of this study was to investigate whether eosinophils contain interleukin (IL)-4 protein. We examined the ultrastructural localization of IL-4 in eosinophils in bronchial mucosal biopsies of 29 nonsmoking atopic asthmatics and 7 controls. No eosinophils were detected in the bronchial mucosa of controls. In the eosinophils (n = 42) of the asthmatics, IL-4 was localized to the electron-dense crystalloid core compartment of 85% of the secondary or specific eosinophil granules (n = 468). Other structures in the eosinophils were unlabeled. Control sections, incubated with an irrelevant primary antibody, were negative. This study demonstrates that pre-formed IL-4 is stored in the secondary eosinophil granules. These results were extended by light microscopic immunodouble-staining for IL-4 protein and eosinophil cationic protein, which showed that a subpopulation of activated eosinophils express IL-4 immunoreactivity in bronchial mucosal biopsies of asthmatics as well as controls. These data indicate that eosinophils may be an important source of IL-4 in allergic inflammation.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R. C. N. Melo, L. A. Spencer, A. M. Dvorak, and P. F. Weller Mechanisms of eosinophil secretion: large vesiculotubular carriers mediate transport and release of granule-derived cytokines and other proteins J. Leukoc. Biol., February 1, 2008; 83(2): 229 - 236. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. P Rogerio, C. R Cardoso, C. Fontanari, M. A Souza, S. R Afonso-Cardoso, E. V. Silva, N. S Koyama, F. L Basei, E. G Soares, J. B Calixto, et al. Anti-asthmatic potential of a D-galactose-binding lectin from Synadenium carinatum latex Glycobiology, August 1, 2007; 17(8): 795 - 804. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. A. Spencer, R. C. N. Melo, S. A. C. Perez, S. P. Bafford, A. M. Dvorak, and P. F. Weller Cytokine receptor-mediated trafficking of preformed IL-4 in eosinophils identifies an innate immune mechanism of cytokine secretion PNAS, February 28, 2006; 103(9): 3333 - 3338. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. L. Faul, E. A. Demers, C. M. Burke, and L. W. Poulter Alterations in Airway Inflammation and Lung Function During Corticosteroid Therapy for Atopic Asthma* Chest, May 1, 2002; 121(5): 1414 - 1420. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Bandeira-Melo, K. Sugiyama, L. J. Woods, M. Phoofolo, D. M. Center, W. W. Cruikshank, and P. F. Weller IL-16 Promotes Leukotriene C4 and IL-4 Release from Human Eosinophils via CD4- and Autocrine CCR3-Chemokine-Mediated Signaling J. Immunol., May 1, 2002; 168(9): 4756 - 4763. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. R. MacKenzie, J. Mattes, L. A. Dent, and P. S. Foster Eosinophils Promote Allergic Disease of the Lung by Regulating CD4+ Th2 Lymphocyte Function J. Immunol., September 15, 2001; 167(6): 3146 - 3155. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Bandeira-Melo, K. Sugiyama, L. J. Woods, and P. F. Weller Cutting Edge: Eotaxin Elicits Rapid Vesicular Transport-Mediated Release of Preformed IL-4 from Human Eosinophils J. Immunol., April 15, 2001; 166(8): 4813 - 4817. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. A. Giembycz and M. A. Lindsay Pharmacology of the Eosinophil Pharmacol. Rev., June 1, 1999; 51(2): 213 - 340. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Kohyama, H. Takizawa, S. Kawasaki, N. Akiyama, M. Sato, and K. Ito Fourteen-Member Macrolides Inhibit Interleukin-8 Release by Human Eosinophils from Atopic Donors Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., April 1, 1999; 43(4): 907 - 911. [Abstract] [Full Text]