Gradual increase in priming of human eosinophils during extravasation from peripheral blood to the airways in response to allergen challenge.

Background: Eosinophils isolated from the blood of patients with allergic asthma exhibit enhanced responsiveness to multiple stimuli compared with cells from normal controls, a phenomenon generally referred to as priming . This priming response is essential for optimal activation with augmented responses including chemotaxis, cytotoxicity, respiratory burst, and the release of proinflammatory lipid mediators.

Objective: To monitor the kinetics of priming of eosinophils in the peripheral blood and in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of patients with allergic asthma before and after allergen challenge.