-
Current Opinion in Allergy and Clinical... Oct 2021Utilization of basophil activation in the diagnosis and monitoring of food allergy has gained increasing recognition. An ex-vivo functional assay, basophil activation... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
Utilization of basophil activation in the diagnosis and monitoring of food allergy has gained increasing recognition. An ex-vivo functional assay, basophil activation reflects clinical reactivity, thereby providing clinically relevant insights. Moreover, as a biomarker of reactivity and tolerance, basophil activation testing (BAT) may provide a useful tool for management of food allergies. Despite its utility, significant limitations of BAT have prevented widespread use. Addressing these limitations will increase the future application and adoption of BAT in food allergy.
RECENT FINDINGS
A number of clinical trials in the past few years have demonstrated the use of BAT in the diagnosis and treatment of food allergy. Specifically, BAT has been found to be a biomarker of tolerance.
SUMMARY
Basophil activation testing is an effective biomarker for diagnosis and monitoring of food allergy.
Topics: Allergens; Basophils; Biomarkers; Food Hypersensitivity; Humans; Immune Tolerance
PubMed: 34374669
DOI: 10.1097/ACI.0000000000000774 -
Critical Reviews in Oncology/hematology 1990
Review
Topics: Basophils; Cell Membrane; Humans; Leukocyte Count; Phenotype
PubMed: 2278641
DOI: 10.1016/1040-8428(90)90009-h -
Annales Pharmaceutiques Francaises Jan 2022The basophils, first described by Paul Ehlrich in 1879, are rare circulating cells, representing approximately 0.01 to 0.3% of the blood leukocytes. Until recently,... (Review)
Review
The basophils, first described by Paul Ehlrich in 1879, are rare circulating cells, representing approximately 0.01 to 0.3% of the blood leukocytes. Until recently, these cells have been neglected because of their minority status among immune cells and because they show some similarities to mast cells residing in tissues. However, basophils and mast cells are now recognized as distinct cell lines and it appears that basophils have important and non-redundant functions, distinct from those of mast cells. On the one hand, basophils have beneficial contribution to protective immunity, in particular against parasitic infections. On the other hand, basophils are involved in the development of various benign and malignant pathologies, ranging from allergy to certain leukemias. Basophils interact with other immune cells or neoplastic cells through direct contacts or soluble mediators, such as cytokines and proteases, thus contributing to the regulation of the immune system but also to allergic responses, and probably to the process of neoplastic transformation. In this review, we will develop recent knowledge on the involvement of basophils in the modulation of innate and adaptive immunity. We will then describe the benign or malignant circumstances in which an elevation of circulating basophils can be observed. Finally, we will discuss the role played by these cells in the pathophysiology of certain leukemias, particularly during chronic myeloid leukemia.
Topics: Basophils; Cytokines; Humans; Hypersensitivity; Leukemia
PubMed: 34051212
DOI: 10.1016/j.pharma.2021.05.005 -
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton,... 2020The absolute basophil count (cells/L) can be determined by manual counting of peripheral blood smears or using cell counting chambers as well as by automated hematology...
The absolute basophil count (cells/L) can be determined by manual counting of peripheral blood smears or using cell counting chambers as well as by automated hematology analyzers and fluorescence flow cytometry. Manual basophil counting of peripheral blood smears is currently regarded as the reference method, although the limitations of this method (distribution, observer, and statistical errors) are widely recognized. Automated hematology analyzers offer an advantage of larger numbers of counted cells and high throughput but are characterized by inconsistent analytical performance for basophil enumeration. Flow cytometric enumeration of circulating basophils using panels of monoclonal antibodies is being developed as novel candidate reference method for the absolute basophil count in peripheral blood. Basophil counting using fluorescence flow cytometry is characterized by high precision and statistical superiority. Emerging innovative technologies for absolute cell counts include imaging flow cytometry, mass cytometry, and on-chip blood counting, but their analytical performance for absolute basophil counts is yet to be established. Here, we describe various techniques for absolute basophil counting in peripheral blood including manual basophil counts in smears and hemocytometers and flow cytometric methodologies using double-platform, bead-based, and volumetric approaches.
Topics: Basophils; Flow Cytometry; Humans; Leukocyte Count; Reference Standards
PubMed: 32766970
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0696-4_9 -
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton,... 2020Mast cells and basophils play a crucial role during type I hypersensitivity reactions. However, despite efforts to elucidate their role in the pathogenesis of allergy... (Review)
Review
Mast cells and basophils play a crucial role during type I hypersensitivity reactions. However, despite efforts to elucidate their role in the pathogenesis of allergy and inflammation, our understanding of MC and basophil biology is still relatively scarce. The practical difficulty in obtaining a sufficient number of purified primary cells from biological samples has slowed down the process of reaching a full understanding of the physiological role of these functionally similar cell types. The establishment of several immortalized cell lines has been a useful tool to establish and perform sophisticated laboratory protocols that are impractical using primary cells. Continuous cell lines have been extensively used to investigate allergen/IgE-mediated cell activation, to elucidate the degranulation dynamics, to investigate structural and functional properties of the high-affinity receptor (FcεRI), and to test cell-stabilizing compounds. In this chapter, we review the most widely used and better-characterized MC and basophil cell lines, highlighting their advantages and drawbacks. It must be pointed out, however, that while cell lines represent a useful in vitro tool due to their easy manipulability and reduced culture costs, they often show aberrant characteristics which are not fully representative of primary cell physiology; results obtained with such cells therefore must be interpreted with due care.
Topics: Animals; Basophils; Cell Culture Techniques; Cell Degranulation; Cell Line; Humans; Mast Cells
PubMed: 32766971
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0696-4_10 -
The Journal of Allergy and Clinical... Oct 2013Both the treatment of patients with allergic diseases and the study of allergic disease mechanisms depend on a wide variety of assays that in various ways assess the...
Both the treatment of patients with allergic diseases and the study of allergic disease mechanisms depend on a wide variety of assays that in various ways assess the presence and function of IgE antibody. The study of allergic diseases could benefit from the study of its 2 principle cellular participants, mast cells and basophils, but the basophil is more accessible than mast cells for ex vivo studies. Its functionality is tested by using 2 predominant methodologies: the secretion of mediators of allergic inflammation and the expression of proteins on the plasma membrane after stimulation. Each approach has benefits. There are also many operational details to consider regardless of which general approach is taken, and proper interpretation of the methods requires a good understanding of the reagents used and the receptors expressed on basophils and a detailed understanding of the factors regulating aggregation of cell-surface IgE.
Topics: Basophils; Humans; Hypersensitivity; Mast Cells
PubMed: 23958648
DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2013.06.038 -
Current Allergy and Asthma Reports Jul 2016We review basophil testing by flow cytometry with an emphasis on advantages and disadvantages. (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
We review basophil testing by flow cytometry with an emphasis on advantages and disadvantages.
RECENT FINDINGS
There are many tools available to assess the presence and severity of allergic diseases in patients. For 50 years, peripheral blood basophils have been used as tools to study these diseases. It is a very accessible cell that binds IgE antibody and secretes the classical mediators responsible for the symptoms of allergic reactions. In the last decade, an even more accessible methodology, using flow cytometry, has been developed to enhance the ability to use basophils for both mechanistic and clinical diagnostics. Basophil testing has been included in diagnostics for different forms of allergies as well as to monitor disease status. A variety of studies have begun to establish both precise methods and their clinical relevance for disease diagnosis, but there remain some important questions on how to take optimal advantage of the behaviours of basophils.
Topics: Basophils; Flow Cytometry; Humans; Hypersensitivity
PubMed: 27411319
DOI: 10.1007/s11882-016-0633-6 -
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton,... 2020The basis of traditional flow cytometry allergy diagnosis is measurement of the expression of basophilic surface activation and/or degranulation markers. Basophils, upon...
The basis of traditional flow cytometry allergy diagnosis is measurement of the expression of basophilic surface activation and/or degranulation markers. Basophils, upon encounter with a specific allergen that cross-links surface FcRI-bound IgE antibodies, not only secrete and release quantifiable bioactive mediators but also upregulate the expression of different markers (e.g., CD63, CD203c) which can be detected by multicolor flow cytometry using specific monoclonal antibodies. Here, we describe a novel technique that relies upon the staining of exteriorized anionic proteoglycans from a basophil granule matrix by cationic fluorescent avidin probes.
Topics: Avidin; Basophils; Biomarkers; Cell Degranulation; Cells, Cultured; Extracellular Space; Flow Cytometry; Fluoresceins; Humans; Immunophenotyping; Proteoglycans; Secretory Vesicles; Staining and Labeling
PubMed: 32766978
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0696-4_17 -
The clinical utility of basophil activation testing in diagnosis and monitoring of allergic disease.Allergy Nov 2015The basophil activation test (BAT) has become a pervasive test for allergic response through the development of flow cytometry, discovery of activation markers such as... (Review)
Review
The basophil activation test (BAT) has become a pervasive test for allergic response through the development of flow cytometry, discovery of activation markers such as CD63 and unique markers identifying basophil granulocytes. Basophil activation test measures basophil response to allergen cross-linking IgE on between 150 and 2000 basophil granulocytes in <0.1 ml fresh blood. Dichotomous activation is assessed as the fraction of reacting basophils. In addition to clinical history, skin prick test, and specific IgE determination, BAT can be a part of the diagnostic evaluation of patients with food-, insect venom-, and drug allergy and chronic urticaria. It may be helpful in determining the clinically relevant allergen. Basophil sensitivity may be used to monitor patients on allergen immunotherapy, anti-IgE treatment or in the natural resolution of allergy. Basophil activation test may use fewer resources and be more reproducible than challenge testing. As it is less stressful for the patient and avoids severe allergic reactions, BAT ought to precede challenge testing. An important next step is to standardize BAT and make it available in diagnostic laboratories. The nature of basophil activation as an ex vivo challenge makes it a multifaceted and promising tool for the allergist. In this EAACI task force position paper, we provide an overview of the practical and technical details as well as the clinical utility of BAT in diagnosis and management of allergic diseases.
Topics: Algorithms; Allergens; Basophil Degranulation Test; Basophils; Biomarkers; Flow Cytometry; Humans; Hypersensitivity; Tetraspanin 30
PubMed: 26198455
DOI: 10.1111/all.12698 -
Clinical and Experimental Allergy :... Jan 2002
Review
Topics: Allergens; Basophils; Humans; Hypersensitivity
PubMed: 12002742
DOI: 10.1046/j.0022-0477.2001.01332.x