Role of the monocyte chemoattractant protein and eotaxin subfamily of chemokines in allergic inflammation.

Allergic inflammation is characterized by the tissue accumulation and activation of leukocytes rich in eosinophils. During these responses, there is marked induction of specific chemokines that are involved in regulating the recruitment and activation of these inflammatory cells. A subfamily of CC (or beta) chemokines composed of macrophage chemoattractant proteins (MCP) and eotaxin have emerged as cytokines involved in the recruitment and activation of the cells seen in allergic reactions. We now show that these chemokines are strikingly related in chromosomal location, gene structure, primary protein sequence, biological activity, and receptor usage. We also show that these chemokines are differentially regulated in human and animal models of allergic disease and perform distinct roles in vivo. We propose that this subfamily of chemokines plays a fundamental role in the development of allergic responses.