Basophils

Information about Basophils

"Basophil" redirects here. For the cells of the anterior pituitary see: anterior pituitary basophil.

Basophil granulocyte

Basophils are the least common of the granulocytes, representing about 0.01% to 0.3% of circulating leukocytes (white blood cells). They contain large cytoplasmic granules which obscure the cell nucleus under the microscope. However, when unstained, the nucleus is visible and it usually has 2 s. The mast cell, a cell in tissues, has many similar characteristics. For example, both cell types store histamine, a chemical that is secreted by the cells when stimulated in certain ways (histamine causes some of the symptoms of an allergic reaction). Like all circulating granulocytes, basophils can be recruited out of the blood into a tissue when needed.

Secretions

When activated, basophils degranulate to release histamine, proteoglycans (e.g. heparin and chondroitin), and proteolytic enzymes (e.g. elastase and lysophospholipase). They also secrete lipid mediators like leukotrienes, and several cytokines. Histamine and proteoglycans are pre-stored in the cell's granules while the other secreted substances are newly generated. Each of these substances contributes to inflammation. Recent evidence suggests that basophils are an important source of the cytokine, interleukin-4, perhaps more important than T cells. Interleukin-4 is considered one of the critical cytokines in the development of allergies and the production of IgE antibody by the immune system. There are other substances that can activate basophils to secrete which suggests that these cells have other roles in inflammation.^[1]

Basopenia (a low basophil count) is difficult to demonstrate as the normal basophil count is so low; it has been reported in association with autoimmune urticaria (a chronic itching condition). Basophilia is also uncommon but may be seen in some forms of leukaemia or lymphoma.

References

1. ^ Janeway CA, Jr. et al (2001). Immunobiology., 5th ed., Garland Publishing. (electronic full text via NCBI Bookshelf) ISBN 0-8153-3642-X.

Additional images

Blood cell lineage

Alternate stain of a basophil

• • [ e] Blood
General	Plasma - Hematopoietic stem cells
Lymphoid - WBC	T cells: Cytotoxic CD8⁺, Helper CD4⁺/Regulatory, γδ, Natural Killer T cell B cells: Plasma, Memory Natural killer cells (Lymphokine-activated killer cell)
Myeloid - WBC	Granulocytes (Neutrophil, Eosinophil, Basophil) - Mast cell precursors Dendritic cells (Langerhans cells, Follicular dendritic cells) Monocytes/Macrophages (Histiocytes, Kupffer cells, Langhans giant cells, Microglia, Osteoclasts) Megakaryoblast - Megakaryocyte - Platelets
Myeloid - RBC	Reticulocyte - Normoblast

• • [ e] Immune system / Immunology
Systems	Adaptive immune system vs. Innate immune system • Humoral immune system vs. Cellular immune system • Complement system (Anaphylatoxins)
Antibodies and antigens	Antibody (Monoclonal antibodies, Polyclonal antibodies, Autoantibody) • Allotype • Isotype • Idiotype • Antigen (Superantigen)
Immune cells	White blood cells (T cell, B cell, NK cell, Mast cell, Basophil, Eosinophil) • Phagocyte (Neutrophil, Macrophage, Dendritic cell) • Antigen-presenting cell • Reticuloendothelial system
Immunity vs. tolerance	Immunity • Autoimmunity • Allergy • Tolerance (Central) • Immunodeficiency
Immunogenetics	Somatic hypermutation • V(D)J recombination • Immunoglobulin class switching • MHC / HLA
Other	Cytokines • Inflammation • Opsonin

An anterior pituitary basophil is a type of cell in the anterior pituitary which manufactures hormones.

It is called a basophil because it readily takes up base, and typically stains a relatively deep blue or purple.
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Granulocytes are a category of white blood cells characterised by the presence of granules in their cytoplasm.^[1] They are also called polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN or PML
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White blood cells or leukocytes are cells of the immune system which defend the body against both infectious disease and foreign materials. Several different and diverse types of leukocytes exist, but they are all produced and derived from a multipotent cell in the bone
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Cytoplasm is a gelatinous, semi-transparent fluid that fills most cells. Eukaryotic cells contain a nucleus that is kept separate from the cytoplasm by a double membrane layer. The cytoplasm has three major elements; the cytosol, organelles and inclusions.
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nucleus (3) ribosome (4) vesicle (5) rough endoplasmic reticulum (ER) (6) Golgi apparatus (7) Cytoskeleton (8) smooth ER (9) mitochondria (10) vacuole (11) cytoplasm (12) lysosome (13) centrioles]]

In cell biology, the nucleus (pl.
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Microscopy is any technique for producing visible images of structures or details too small to otherwise be seen by the human eye, using a microscope or other magnification tool. It is often used more specifically as a technique of using a microscope.
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A mast cell (or mastocyte) is a resident cell of several types of tissues and contains many granules rich in histamine and heparin. Although best known for their role in allergy and anaphylaxis, mast cells play an important protective role as well, being intimately
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Biological tissue is a collection of interconnected cells that perform a similar function within an organism.

The study of tissue is known as histology, or, in connection with disease, histopathology.
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Histamine is a biogenic amine involved in local immune responses as well as regulating physiological function in the gut and acting as a neurotransmitter.^[1] New evidence also indicates that histamine plays a role in chemotaxis of white blood cells.
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worldwide view of the subject.
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Classification & external resources

ICD-10 T 78.4
ICD-9 995.
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Blood is a specialized biological fluid consisting of red blood cells (also called RBCs or erythrocytes), white blood cells (also called leukocytes) and platelets (also called thrombocytes) suspended in a complex fluid medium known as blood plasma.
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103 (10): 3845-53. PMID 14739229.
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Proteoglycans represent a special class of glycoproteins that are heavily glycosylated. They consist of a core protein with one or more covalently attached glycosaminoglycan chain(s).
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Heparin, a highly sulfated glycosaminoglycan is widely used as an injectable anticoagulant and has the highest negative charge density of any known biological molecule.^[1]
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Chondroitin sulfate is a sulfated glycosaminoglycan (GAG) composed of a chain of alternating sugars (N-acetylgalactosamine and glucuronic acid). It is usually found attached to proteins as part of a proteoglycan.
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A protease is any enzyme that conducts proteolysis, that is, begins protein catabolism by hydrolysis of the peptide bonds that link amino acids together in the polypeptide chain.
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elastase is an enzyme from the class of proteases (or better peptidases) that break down proteins.

Forms and classification

There exist two human genes for elastase:

Pancreatic elastase (ELA-1)
Neutrophil elastase (ELA-2)

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Lipids can be broadly defined as any fat-soluble (hydrophobic), naturally-occurring molecules. The term is more-specifically used to refer to fatty-acids and their derivatives (including tri-, di-, and monoglycerides and phospholipids) as well as other fat-soluble sterol-containing
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Leukotrienes are naturally produced eicosanoid lipid mediators, which may be responsible for a number of the effects of asthma and allergies. Leukotrienes use both autocrine signalling and paracrine signalling to regulate the body's response.
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Cytokines are a group of proteins and peptides that are used in organisms as signaling compounds. These chemical signals are similar to hormones and neurotransmitters and are used to allow one cell to communicate with another.
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Interleukin-4, abbreviated IL-4, is a cytokine that induces differentiation of naive helper T cells (Th0 cells) to Th2 cells. Upon activation by IL-4, Th2 cells subsequently produce additional IL-4.
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T cells belong to a group of white blood cells known as lymphocytes and play a central role in cell-mediated immunity. They can be distinguished from other lymphocyte types, such as B cells and NK cells by the presence of a special receptor on their cell surface that is called the
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IGE (Internet Gaming Entertainment) is the largest MMORPG services company world-wide, with offices in Los Angeles, Hong Kong, and Miami. IGE is one of the main players in virtual economy services, also known in the MMORPG industry as secondary market.
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Charles Alderson Janeway, Jr. (1943-2003) was a noted immunologist. A member of the National Academy of Sciences, he held a faculty position at Yale University's medical school and was an HHMI Investigator.
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Blood plasma is the liquid component of blood, in which the blood cells are suspended. It makes up about 55% of total blood volume. Blood plasma is prepared simply by spinning a tube of fresh blood in a centrifuge until the blood cells fall to the bottom of the tube.
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Hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) are stem cells which give rise to all the blood cell types including myeloid (monocytes and macrophages, neutrophils, basophils, eosinophils, erythrocytes, megakaryocytes/platelets, dendritic cells) and lymphoid lineages (T-cells, B-cells, NK-cells).
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