Increasing evidence supports a critical role for the eosinophil in disease. Here, the
mechanisms underlying eosinophil-associated inflammation are reviewed including
eosinophil constituents, eosinophil maturation and release from the bone marrow, and
eosinophil tissue recruitment and activation. Eosinophil effector functions in bronchial
asthma are summarized with particular attention to pulmonary M2 muscarinic receptors and
bronchial hyperreactivity. Recent findings supporting roles for IL-5, the eosinophil, and its …