Activated status of basophils in chronic urticaria leads to interleukin-3 hyper-responsiveness and enhancement of histamine release induced by anti-IgE stimulus

Abstract

Basophils of patients with CIU showed an activated profile, possibly due to an in vivo priming. Functionally, basophils have high responsiveness to IL-3 stimulation, thereby suggesting that defects in the signal transduction pathway after IgE cross-linking stimuli are recoverable in subjects with chronic urticaria.