Eosinophils apply a handbrake to plasmacytoid dendritic cell antiviral immunity in asthma

An acute inflammatory response is a complex, coordinated process that occurs in distinct phases. The initial stage requires plasma proteins and the expression of chemokines and/or cytokines to initiate the recruitment of innate inflammatory cells. Next, the infiltrating leukocytes (eg, neutrophils, eosinophils, monocytes) attempt to kill the invading pathogen, often indiscriminately, and so collateral damage to host cells is unavoidably incurred. Last comes the resolution phase, which is mediated primarily by tissue-resident and recruited macrophages that produce growth factors such as TGF-β, to facilitate tissue remodeling and repair.