Effects of eosinophils on mast cells: a new pathway for the perpetuation of allergic inflammation.

Mast cells have a clear-cut pathologic role in allergy, participating in a number of chronic inflammatory conditions, in helmintic parasitosis, and in some solid tumor reactions, but also in physiological situations, such as wound healing and innate immunity. Mast cells release a large number of proinflammatory, immunoregulatory, and tissue regulatory mediators after activation induced by either IgE-dependent or IgE-independent mechanisms. While much information has been gathered on the immunological mast cell activation both in rodent and human systems, only minimal knowledge exists on the non-immunological activation especially in human mast cells. Mast cell IgE-independent activation occurs through G(i3alpha) which has been identified as the pertussis toxin (Ptx)-sensitive heterotrimeric G protein that interacts with cationic secretagogues inducing PLC-independent mast cell exocytosis. Mast cell IgE-independent activation in allergy probably occurs when mast cells encounter eosinophils, the main inflammatory cells of the allergic reactions that persist throughout the late phase and when the inflammatory condition becomes chronic. This review summarizes regarding the influence of eosinophils on mast cell activation, thus demonstrating that IgE-independent activation has a relevant role in pathophysiological processes as well as in mast cell IgE-dependent activation.