TISSUE EOSINOPHILIA AND LOCAL DEPOSITION OF EOSINOPHIL GRANULE PROTEINS - REGULATION AND SIGNIFICANCE IN THE INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE OF ATOPIC-DERMATITIS AND OTHER INFLAMMATORY SKIN DISEASES

Recent in vitro-studies have substantially increased our knowledge of eosinophil activation,the regulation of eosinophilia in the peripheral blood and the role of cytokines in that process. Accordingly, chemoat traction and activation of eosinophils by cytokines results in the loc al release of reactive oxygen species and toxic cationic granule prote ins followed by local propagation of the inflammatory reaction and tis sue damage. This extracellular tissue deposition of toxic granule prot eins as an expression of complete activation of eosinophils, rather th an only the presence of intact eosinophil granulocytes, is crucial for their functional effect in situ. Semiquantitative studies of local eo sinophil granule deposition so far have been done only in atopic derma titis and a limited number of other inflammatory skin diseases as summ arized in this review. Evaluation of the pathogenetic role of eosinoph ils may be of potential therapeutic importance.