Francesca Levi-Schaffer

..On the other hand histamine and IL-6 were higher, while EPO was lower in TNF-KO mice. In conclusion, our findings show that TNF is involved in eosinophil accumulation and inflammatory mediators' release in a murine model of allergy...

..In conclusion, we have demonstrated that mast cells enhance eosinophil survival in part through their activation to produce and release the autocrine survival cytokine GM-CSF...

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..The presented proteomic analysis is the first step in the exploration of molecular mechanisms involved in eosinophil activation...

..Eosinophils produce VEGF and are pro-angiogenic. However, to the best of our knowledge no study has been performed to verify the existence of a direct link between eosinophils, hypoxia and angiogenesis in allergic inflammation...

..Thus, desloratadine provides benefits that are independent of H1 receptor binding and based on mast cell stabilization...

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..These data corroborate the importance of eosinophils in skin and lung fibrosis...

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..Mast cell responsiveness to eosinophil mediators is a potentially novel evidence for an alternative pathway of allergen-independent activation able to contribute to the perpetuation of allergy...

..These data demonstrate a novel pathway for the regulation of human mast cell function and allergic responses, indicating IRp60 as a candidate target for future treatment of allergic and mast cell-associated diseases...

..Additionally, anti-IL-3 reduces CD48 expression and the degree of airway inflammation. Thus, CD48 is an IL-3-induced activating receptor on eosinophils, likely involved in promoting allergic inflammation...

..Our findings highlight CD300a as a novel regulator of Kit in human MC and suggest roles for this receptor as a suppressor of Kit signaling in MC-related disorders...

..Furthermore, we showed that eosinophils express slam-associated protein. The demonstration that human eosinophils express a functional 2B4 receptor indicates a broader role for these cells in health and disease...

..8%, P < .001) and induced synthesis of collagen from these cells (190% +/- 28% increase versus control, P < .05). This study demonstrates that mast cells influence several aspects of lung fibroblast function in vitro...

..These findings demonstrate a novel pathway for suppressing the activity of human eosinophils, thus indicating IRp60 as a future potential target for the treatment of allergic and eosinophil-associated diseases...

..We previously demonstrated that eotaxin/CCL11 is profibrogenic for human lung fibroblasts. The effect of eotaxin-2/ CCL24 and eotaxin-3/CCL26 on lung fibroblasts has not yet been investigated...

..CONCLUSIONS: Myofibroblasts are the main connective tissue cells present in human peritoneal adhesions, and mast cells play a direct role in peritoneal adhesion formation...

..This is the first in vitro evidence of functional physical interactions between human MC and Eos, interactions that might also occur in vivo during allergic diseases...

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..Results suggest that TRAIL-mediated apoptosis may be a mechanism of regulating MC survival in vivo and, potentially, for down-regulating MC hyperplasia in pathologic conditions...

..CONCLUSION: These data demonstrate that eotaxin/CCL11 has a direct and selective profibrogenic effect on lung and bronchial fibroblasts, providing a novel mechanism whereby eotaxin/CCL11 can participate in airway remodeling in asthma...

..We discuss the multifaceted roles of mast cells and eosinophils in tissue remodeling and angiogenesis during allergic diseases and whether these cells can be both source and target cells for pro-angiogenic mediators...

..Using mutational-analysis survey, we show that tyrosine 267 located in the third ITIM motif of the CD300a protein is important for the inhibitory function of CD300a...

..Although CD48 is widely expressed on hematopoietic cells and commonly studied in the context of natural killer and cytotoxic T cell functions, its role in helper T cell type 2 settings has not been examined...

..These in vitro data show that human MC can produce and express intracellular TRAIL whose location could not be altered by different stimuli...

..In summary, these novel findings on the potential pro-healing capacity of NGF might open new possibilities for this growth factor in modulating the healing processes in several pathological conditions...

..CONCLUSIONS: MBP is the first identified natural heparanase-inhibiting protein. Its presence in the eosinophil granules might indicate a protective function of these cells in diseases associated with inflammation and cancer progression...

..In summary, we have demonstrated that the preformed mast cell mediator tryptase induces cytokine production and release in human peripheral blood eosinophils by the mitogen-activated protein kinase/AP-1 pathway...

..Recent evidences link NGF and these two processes. While NGF is clearly a new tool in the management of untreatable ulcers, its role in allergic inflammation, although appearing to be pro-inflammatory, is still not clearly defined...

..CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Specific targeting of CD300a in CCR3(+) cells may be a potent tool for treating airway inflammation and tissue remodeling in asthma...

..Moreover, costimulatory responses might be a critical component in allergic reactions and may therefore become novel targets for anti-allergic therapy...

..However, accumulated evidence shows that FAS signaling also exhibits nonapoptotic functions, such as induction of cell proliferation and differentiation. FAS is the only death receptor known to be expressed on murine mast cells (MCs)...

..CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: This work demonstrates a potent approach for the therapy of allergic diseases...

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..Moreover, we shall review inventions making use of CD48, and discuss recent patents and the potential of CD48 as a future target for the therapy of allergic and other diseases...

..In contrast, only CCL24 seems important for recruitment of eosinophils into BAL. Specific inhibition of CCL11 alone is therefore unlikely to inhibit eosinophil recruitment to the airways...

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..Such interactions, that we have termed "the allergic effector unit", may modulate the severity and/or duration of the allergic inflammatory reaction...

..This strongly suggests an important role of eosinophils in angiogenesis-associated diseases such as asthma...

..The eosinophil is involved in physiologic and pathologic processes, such as asthma, parasitic diseases, granulomatous disorders, fibrosis, malignant tumors and several sino-nasal diseases...

..Therefore, the co-culture system can be viewed as a suitable tool to investigate mast cell-fibroblast crosstalk...

..These molecules might therefore contribute to the outcome of mast cell-associated pathologies, and constitute new therapeutic targets in such diseases...

..Cumulatively, these findings suggest that S. aureus internalizes and survives in mast cells. This may play an important role in infections and in atopic diseases associated with S. aureus...

..Therefore a selective targeting of TRAIL and of IRs on MC could be a novel immunopharmacological way to downregulate MC-associated diseases...

..Conceivably, mast cells should be refocused on so as to obtain new insights about diverse pathologic conditions, ultimately leading to novel therapeutic approaches targeting these fascinating cells...

..Our data suggest that the pro-fibrogenic effect of eosinophils might be influenced by treatment with ICS in childhood asthma...

..In vitro mast cell induced fibroplasia. Therefore, mast cells have a profibrogenic role in this model of peritoneal adhesions...

..Possible CD48-based applications for immune-impaired and inflammatory disorders are discussed as well...

..In conclusion, we assume that targeting inhibitory receptors on eosinophils may provide opportunities for immunoregulatory therapy in the near future...

..In this chapter, we will discuss down-regulating mechanisms of mast cells focusing on immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibition motifs (ITIM)-containing inhibitory receptors (IR)...

..The structure of DNAM-1, its mechanism of action and its effects in pathological scenarios are discussed...

..In conclusion, mast cell/anti-histamine targeted therapies should carefully consider this dual effect...

..CONCLUSIONS: IJCN is a unique entity, different from simple compound conjunctival naevus. Its association with allergic conjunctivitis is suggestive, and despite periods of alarmingly rapid growth, is histologically benign...

..These data suggest that patients with increased eosinophil surface CD25 expression are at higher risk of eosinophil degranulation and subsequent tissue damage when IL-2 is present at inflammatory sites...

..To sum up, the findings of this study indicate that NGF can modulate some functional activities of fibroblastic-keratocytes, thus substantiating the healing effects of NGF on corneal wound-healing...

..Such interactions between MCs and FBs may explain why MCs accumulate at sites of inflammatory bowel disease and intestinal fibrosis...

..The present review of experimental and clinical studies will highlight old and recent strategies for treating ocular surface and tear disorders with NGF...

..TGF-beta1 and IL-13 also induced tenascin expression. We conclude that TGF-beta1 and IL-13, provided partially by eosinophils, contribute to repair and remodeling events in allergic inflammation in human atopic skin...

..We have recently demonstrated that mast cells can be activated by heterotypic adhesion to activated T cells...