One of the hallmarks of allergic pulmonary disorders is the accumulation of
an abnormally large number of leukocytes including eosinophils, neutrophil
s, lymphocytes, basophils, and macrophages in the lung (1). There is now su
bstantial evidence that eosinophils, under the control of T lymphocytes, ar
e major effector cells in the pathogenesis of asthma. Therefore, understand
ing the mechanisms by which eosinophils accumulate and are activated in tis
sues is a fundamental question very relevant to allergic diseases. Another
characteristic of allergic inflammation is the activation of leukocytes res
ulting in the release of biologically active mediators, such as histamine f
rom mast cells and basophils. It is now apparent that chemokines are patent
leukocyte chemoattractants, cellular activating factors, histamine releasi
ng factors, and regulators of homeostatic immunity making them particularly
important in the pathogenesis of airway inflammation in asthma (2). In thi
s regard, chemokines are attractive new therapeutic targets for the treatme
nt of allergic disease. This article focuses on recently emerging data on t
he importance of chemokines and their receptors in allergic airway inflamma
tion.