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Helminths are multicellular parasites that are a substantial problem for both human and veterinary medicine. According to estimates, 1.5 billion people suffer from their infection, resulting in decreased life quality and burdens for healthcare systems. On the other hand, these infections may alleviate autoimmune diseases and allergy symptoms. The immune system is programmed to combat infections; nevertheless, its effector mechanisms may result in immunopathologies and exacerbate clinical symptoms. This review summarizes the role of the immune response against worms, with an emphasis on the Th2 response, which is a hallmark of helminth infections. We characterize non-immune cells (enteric tuft cells—ETCs) responsible for detecting parasites, as well as the role of hematopoietic-derived cells (macrophages, basophils, eosinophils, neutrophils, innate lymphoid cells group 2—ILC2s, mast cells, T cells, and B cells) in initiating and sustaining the immune response, as well as the functions they play in granulomas. The aim of this paper is to review the existing knowledge regarding the immune response against helminths, to attempt to decipher the interactions between cells engaged in the response, and to indicate the gaps in the current knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening or even fatal systemic hypersensitivity reaction. The incidence of anaphylaxis has risen at an alarming rate in the past decades in the majority of countries. Generally, the most common causes of severe or fatal anaphylaxis are medication, foods and Hymenoptera venoms. Anaphylactic reactions are characterized by the activation of mast cells and basophils and the release of mediators. These cells express a variety of receptors that enable them to respond to a wide range of stimulants. Most studies of anaphylaxis focus on IgE-dependent reactions. The mast cell has long been regarded as the main effector cell involved in IgE-mediated anaphylaxis. This paper reviews IgE-independent anaphylaxis, with special emphasis on mast cells, basophils, anaphylactic mediators, risk factors, triggers, and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug hypersensitivity reactions (DHRs) to platinum-based compounds (PCs) are on the rise, and their personalized and safe management is essential to enable first-line treatment for these cancer patients. This study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of the basophil activation test by flow cytometry (BAT-FC) and the newly developed sIgE-microarray and BAT-microarray in diagnosing IgE-mediated hypersensitivity reactions to PCs. A total of 24 patients with DHRs to PCs (20 oxaliplatin and four carboplatin) were evaluated: thirteen patients were diagnosed as allergic with positive skin tests (STs) or drug provocation tests (DPTs), six patients were diagnosed as non-allergic with negative STs and DPTs, and five patients were classified as suspected allergic because DPTs could not be performed. In addition, four carboplatin-tolerant patients were included as controls. The BAT-FC was positive in 2 of 13 allergic patients, with a sensitivity of 15.4% and specificity of 100%. However, the sIgE- and BAT-microarray were positive in 11 of 13 DHR patients, giving a sensitivity of over 84.6% and a specificity of 90%. Except for one patient, all samples from the non-allergic and control groups were negative for sIgE- and BAT-microarray. Our experience indicated that the sIgE- and BAT-microarray could be helpful in the endophenotyping of IgE-mediated hypersensitivity reactions to PCs and may provide an advance in decision making for drug provocation testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This retrospective study investigated circulating immune cell alteration in patients with myopic retinopathy. Blood test results and demographic and ocular information of 392 myopic patients and 129 emmetropia controls who attended Changsha Aier Eye Hospital from May 2017 to April 2022 were used in this study. Compared with emmetropia, the percentages of neutrophils and basophils and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio were significantly higher in myopic patients, whereas the percentages of monocytes and lymphocytes and the counts of lymphocytes and eosinophils were significantly lower in myopic patients. After adjusting for age and hypertension/diabetes, the difference remained. Interestingly, the platelet counts were significantly lower in myopic patients after the adjustments. Further subgroup analysis using multivariable linear regression showed that higher levels of neutrophils, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, and platelet/lymphocyte ratio, lower levels of monocytes, eosinophils, lymphocytes, and platelets, were related to myopic peripheral retinal degeneration (mPRD) and posterior staphyloma (PS). A higher level of basophils was linked to myopic choroidal neovascularization (mCNV). Our results suggest that higher levels of circulating neutrophils and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, lower monocytes, eosinophils, lymphocytes, and platelets are related to mild myopic retinopathy. A higher level of circulating basophils is related to the severe form of myopic retinopathy, such as mCNV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Helminths are multicellular parasites that are a substantial problem for both human and veterinary medicine. According to estimates, 1.5 billion people suffer from their infection, resulting in decreased life quality and burdens for healthcare systems. On the other hand, these infections may alleviate autoimmune diseases and allergy symptoms. The immune system is programmed to combat infections; nevertheless, its effector mechanisms may result in immunopathologies and exacerbate clinical symptoms. This review summarizes the role of the immune response against worms, with an emphasis on the Th2 response, which is a hallmark of helminth infections. We characterize non-immune cells (enteric tuft cells—ETCs) responsible for detecting parasites, as well as the role of hematopoietic-derived cells (macrophages, basophils, eosinophils, neutrophils, innate lymphoid cells group 2—ILC2s, mast cells, T cells, and B cells) in initiating and sustaining the immune response, as well as the functions they play in granulomas. The aim of this paper is to review the existing knowledge regarding the immune response against helminths, to attempt to decipher the interactions between cells engaged in the response, and to indicate the gaps in the current knowledge.

Basophils are key effector cells in atopic diseases, and the signaling sphingolipid Sphigosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is emerging as an important mediator in these conditions. The possible interaction of S1P and basophils and the resulting biological effects have not yet been studied. We hypothesize that S1P influences the function of basophils in atopy and aim to elucidate the modes of interaction. S1P receptor (S1PR) expression in human peripheral blood basophils from atopic and non-atopic patients was assessed through qRT-PCR and flow cytometry analysis. Functional effects of S1P were assessed through a basophil activation test (BAT), calcium flux, apoptosis, and chemotaxis assays. Immunofluorescence staining was performed to visualize intracellular S1P. Human basophils express S1PR1, S1PR2, S1PR3, and S1PR4 on the mRNA level. 0.1 µM S1P have anti-apoptotic, while 10 µM exhibits apoptotic effects on basophils. Basophils from atopic patients show less chemotactic activity in response to S1P than those from healthy donors. Protein expression of S1PR1 is downregulated in atopic patients, and basophils in lesional AD skin possess intracellular S1P. These findings suggest that the interaction of S1P and basophils might be an important factor in the pathophysiology of atopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allergic reactions to COVID-19 vaccine components are rare but should be considered. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is responsible for anaphylaxis in mRNA vaccines. Skin tests have been used in the allergological work-up programs for COVID-19 vaccine evaluation. However, the reproducibility of the skin prick test is time-dependent and the reactivity declines over time. Therefore, we combined the administration of the skin tests with the basophil activation test (BAT) using PEG2000, PEG4000 and DMG-PEG2000, where the BAT was considered positive when the percentage of activated basophils was higher than 6%, 5% and 6.5%, for PEG 4000, PEG2000 and DMG-PEG2000, respectively. To this end, among the subjects that underwent allergy counseling at the Allergy Unit of our Institution during the 2020/2021 vaccination campaign, 13 patients had a suggested medical history of PEG/drug hypersensitivity and were enrolled together with 10 healthy donors. Among the enrolled patients 2 out of 13 tested patients were positive to the skin test. The BAT was negative in terms of the percentages of activated basophils in all analyzed samples, but the stimulation index (SI) was higher than 2.5 in 4 out of 13 patients. These data evidenced that, when the SI is higher than 2.5, even in the absence of positivity to BAT, the BAT to PEG may be a useful tool to be coupled to skin tests to evidence even low-grade reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant-food allergy is an increasing problem, with nonspecific lipid transfer proteins (nsLTPs) triggering mild/severe reactions. Pru p 3 is the major sensitizer in LTP food allergy (FA). However, in vivo and in vitro diagnosis is hampered by the need for differentiating between asymptomatic sensitization and allergy with clinical relevance. The basophil activation test (BAT) is an ex vivo method able to identify specific IgE related to the allergic response. Thus, we aimed to establish the value of BAT in a precise diagnosis of LTP-allergic patients. Ninety-two individuals with peach allergy sensitized to LTP, Pru p 3, were finally included, and 40.2% of them had symptoms to peanut (n = 37). In addition, 16 healthy subjects were recruited. BAT was performed with Pru p 3 and Ara h 9 (peanut LTP) at seven ten-fold concentrations, and was evaluated by flow cytometry, measuring the percentage of CD63 (%CD63+) and CD203c (%CD203chigh) cells, basophil allergen threshold sensitivity (CD-Sens), and area under the dose–response curve (AUC). Significant changes in BAT parameters (%CD63+ and %CD203chigh) were found between the controls and patients. However, comparisons for %CD63+, %CD203chigh, AUC, and CD-Sens showed similar levels among patients with different symptoms. An optimal cut-off was established from ROC curves, showing a significant positive percentage of BAT in patients compared to controls and great values of sensitivity (>87.5%) and specificity (>85%). In addition, BAT showed differences in LTP-allergic patients tolerant to peanut using its corresponding LTP, Ara h 9. BAT can be used as a potential diagnostic tool for identifying LTP allergy and for differentiating peanut tolerance, although neither reactivity nor sensitivity can distinguish the severity of the clinical symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are currently no diagnostic methods in vitro for aspirin-induced chronic urticaria (AICU) except for the provocation test in vivo. To identify disease markers for AICU, we investigated the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the promoter loci of high-affinity IgE receptor (FcεRIa) and CD203c expression level in Chinese patients with AICU. We studied two genotypic and allelic frequencies of rs2427827 (-344C/T) and rs2251746 (-66T/C) gene polymorphisms of FcεRIa in 20 patients with AICU, 52 subjects with airway hypersensitivity without aspirin intolerance, and 50 controls in a Chinese population. The results showed that the frequencies of two SNPs (-344C>T, -66C>T) were similar to the normal controls. The allele frequency of -344CC was significantly higher in the patients with AICU compared to those with airway sensitivity (p = 0.019). We also studied both histamine release and CD203c expression on KU812 cells to assess aspirin-induced basophil activation. We found that the activity of basophil activation of AICU was significantly higher in the patients with AICU compared to those with airway hypersensitivity without aspirin intolerance. The mean fluorescence intensity of the CD203c expression were 122.5 ± 5.2 vs. 103.3 ± 3.3 respectively, (p < 0.05), and the percentages of histamine release were 31.3% ± 7.4% vs. -24.0% ± 17.5%, (p < 0.05) respectively. Although the mean fluorescence intensity of CD203c expression and the percentage of histamine release were significantly up-regulated by aspirin, they were not affected by anti-IgE antibodies. These results suggest that a single SNP of FcεRIa (-344C>T) is less likely to develop AICU and the basophil activation activity in the sera by measuring CD203c expression can be applicable to confirm the diagnosis of AICU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ocular surface is a gateway that contacts the outside and receives stimulation from the outside. The corneal innate immune system is composed of many types of cells, including epithelial cells, fibroblasts, natural killer cells, macrophages, neutrophils, dendritic cells, mast cells, basophils, eosinophils, mucin, and lysozyme. Neutrophil infiltration and degranulation occur on the ocular surface. Degranulation, neutrophil extracellular traps formation, called NETosis, and autophagy in neutrophils are involved in the pathogenesis of ocular surface diseases. It is necessary to understand the role of neutrophils on the ocular surface. Furthermore, there is a need for research on therapeutic agents targeting neutrophils and neutrophil extracellular trap formation for ocular surface diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]