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Nature Immunology 10, 706 - 712 (2009)
Published online: 24 May 2009 | doi:10.1038/ni.1737

Basophils contribute to TH2-IgE responses in vivo via IL-4 production and presentation of peptide–MHC class II complexes to CD4+ T cells

Tomohiro Yoshimoto1,2, Koubun Yasuda1,2, Hidehisa Tanaka1,2, Masakiyo Nakahira1,2, Yasutomo Imai1,2, Yoshihiro Fujimori3 & Kenji Nakanishi1,2

Basophils express major histocompatibility complex class II, CD80 and CD86 and produce interleukin 4 (IL-4) in various conditions. Here we show that when incubated with IL-3 and antigen or complexes of antigen and immunoglobulin E (IgE), basophils internalized, processed and presented antigen as complexes of peptide and major histocompatibility complex class II and produced IL-4. Intravenous administration of ovalbumin-pulsed basophils into naive mice 'preferentially' induced the development of naive ovalbumin-specific CD4+ T cells into T helper type 2 (TH2) cells. Mice immunized in this way, when challenged by intravenous administration of ovalbumin, promptly produced ovalbumin-specific IgG1 and IgE. Finally, intravenous administration of IgE complexes rapidly induced TH2 cells only in the presence of endogenous basophils, which suggests that basophils are potent antigen-presenting cells that 'preferentially' augment TH2-IgE responses by capturing IgE complex.

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