Article abstract


Nature Immunology 10, 713 - 720 (2009)
Published online: 24 May 2009 | doi:10.1038/ni.1738

Basophils function as antigen-presenting cells for an allergen-induced T helper type 2 response

Caroline L Sokol1, Ngoc-Quynh Chu1, Shuang Yu1, Simone A Nish1, Terri M Laufer2 & Ruslan Medzhitov1


T helper type 2 (TH2)-mediated immune responses are induced after infection with multicellular parasites and can be triggered by a variety of allergens. The mechanisms of induction and the antigen-presenting cells involved in the activation of TH2 responses remain poorly defined, and the innate immune sensing pathways activated by parasites and allergens are largely unknown. Basophils are required for the in vivo induction of TH2 responses by protease allergens. Here we show that basophils also function as antigen-presenting cells. We show that although dendritic cells were dispensable for allergen-induced activation of TH2 responses in vitro and in vivo, antigen presentation by basophils was necessary and sufficient for this. Thus, basophils function as antigen-presenting cells for TH2 differentiation in response to protease allergens.

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  1. Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
  2. Immunology Graduate Group, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

Correspondence to: Ruslan Medzhitov1 e-mail: ruslan.medzhitov@yale.edu



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