Abstract
Eosinophils are granulocytic leukocytes residing in blood and tissues in the lung, breast, gastrointestinal and reproductive systems. Eosinophilia is uncommon in healthy individuals, however, it is associated with allergies, helminth infections and some inflammatory states. Eosinophilia has also been observed in cancer, including colorectal, breast, ovarian, cervical, oral squamous, Hodgkin’s lymphoma and prostate cancer. Whether an increase in eosinophils leading to a favourable or unfavourable prognosis still remains controversial and depends on many factors including the type of cancer. Eosinophil infiltration is considered unfavourable in Hodgkin’s lymphoma, conversely it has also been linked to a favourable prognosis in colorectal, breast and prostate cancers. Eosinophils secrete a variety of cytokines and factors including eosinophil cationic protein, eosinophil-derived neurotoxin, peroxidase and major basic protein which have either anti-tumor effects or stimulate tumor progression. Herein, we discuss the role of eosinophils in tumor immunity and propose mechanisms accounting for their functional differences in tumorigenesis.
Keywords: Cancer, eosinophils, cancer prognosis, eosinophilia.
Current Medicinal Chemistry
Title:Eosinophils in Cancer: Favourable or Unfavourable?
Volume: 23 Issue: 7
Author(s): Samy Sakkal, Sarah Miller, Vasso Apostolopoulos and Kulmira Nurgali
Affiliation:
Keywords: Cancer, eosinophils, cancer prognosis, eosinophilia.
Abstract: Eosinophils are granulocytic leukocytes residing in blood and tissues in the lung, breast, gastrointestinal and reproductive systems. Eosinophilia is uncommon in healthy individuals, however, it is associated with allergies, helminth infections and some inflammatory states. Eosinophilia has also been observed in cancer, including colorectal, breast, ovarian, cervical, oral squamous, Hodgkin’s lymphoma and prostate cancer. Whether an increase in eosinophils leading to a favourable or unfavourable prognosis still remains controversial and depends on many factors including the type of cancer. Eosinophil infiltration is considered unfavourable in Hodgkin’s lymphoma, conversely it has also been linked to a favourable prognosis in colorectal, breast and prostate cancers. Eosinophils secrete a variety of cytokines and factors including eosinophil cationic protein, eosinophil-derived neurotoxin, peroxidase and major basic protein which have either anti-tumor effects or stimulate tumor progression. Herein, we discuss the role of eosinophils in tumor immunity and propose mechanisms accounting for their functional differences in tumorigenesis.
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Cite this article as:
Sakkal Samy, Miller Sarah, Apostolopoulos Vasso and Nurgali Kulmira, Eosinophils in Cancer: Favourable or Unfavourable?, Current Medicinal Chemistry 2016; 23 (7) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/0929867323666160119094313
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/0929867323666160119094313 |
Print ISSN 0929-8673 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1875-533X |

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