Research progress in immunoregulation of basophils

Basophilic granulocytes(basophils) represent only about 0.5% of the leukocyte population in peripheral blood.Traditionally,basophils are gaining respect as significant contributors in the pathogenesis underlying hypersensitivity by releasing an array of pre-stored and newly synthesized pro-inflammatory mediators(e.g.histamine) as immune effector cells.However,emerging evidences suggest the immunoregulatory characteristics of basophils,which contribute to the regulation of immune responses by various pathways.In addition to its contribution to acute and chronic inflammatory responses as well as anti-parasite immunity,basophils,meanwhile,are involved in the regulation of innate immune responses by the expression of pattern recognition receptor and the production of inflammatory mediators and play pivotal roles in the modulation of adaptive immune responses by promoting Th2 skewing to foreign antigen exposure through its antigen presenting cell-like function and the regulation of immune memory response.Therefore,basophils tend to have an impressive capacity of modulating immunity,displaying considerable functional in the regulation of innate immune responses and adaptive immune responses.This review describes a brief introduction of basophils and these recent advances in understanding of their roles in immunoregulation.