Airway eosinophilia is a characteristic of bronchial asthma. Eosinophils ar
e considered to cause tissue damage through the release of toxic proteases,
lipid mediators, cytokines and oxygen free radicals. The discovery of chem
okines and the demonstration that some members of this cytokine superfamily
are implicated in the recruitment of eosinophils offers an opportunity for
a novel therapeutic approach in asthma.