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The Marrow Reserve of Eosinophils
Author(s) -
Hudson G.
Publication year - 1964
Publication title -
british journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.907
H-Index - 186
eISSN - 1365-2141
pISSN - 0007-1048
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2141.1964.tb00685.x
Subject(s) - eosinophilia , bone marrow , hormone , eosinophil , cortisone , medicine , peripheral , immunology , endocrinology , biology , asthma
T he quantitative methods developed in this laboratory (Yoffey, 1960) have already been used to demonstrate the large ‘reserve’of mature and almost mature eosinophils in normal bone marrow and to study changes which it undergoes in the foreign protein response (Hudson, 1960, 1963). These studies indicated that large numbers of eosinophils are discharged from the marrow reserve during the first 24–30 hours following the re‐exposure of a sensitized guinea‐pig to foreign protein. Further experiments showed that the marked increase in the level of circulating eosinophils, which is usually observed in these circumstances, can be prevented by the administration of hydrocortisone, and the question arose of the mechanism by which cortical hormones could exert such an effect. Quantitative studies have been carried out in an attempt to throw light on this, and the results are the basis of the present communication. It was noted that Samter, Erickson and Kofoed (1952) and Speirs (1958) had observed that ACTH and cortisone may depress or inhibit the peripheral eosinophilia in animals during the foreign protein response, and that Essellier and Wagner (1952) had reported no changes in the percentage of marrow eosinophils in patients in whom a high‐grade peripheral eosinophilia had been abolished by ACTH. There appeared, however, to have been no previous quantitative studies of the bone marrow in such circumstances.