Basophils and eosinophils in allergic rhinitis

Unequivocal data support the role of the mast cell in the immediate or early-phase anaphylactoid reaction to antigen. Although the contribution of the early reaction to the pathophysiology of allergic rhinitis should not be ignored, there is clear evidence that the early response cannot fully explain the extent of the disease. One of the more important observations that led investigators to this conclusion is that systemic corticosteroids do not inhibit the early response to antigen in the nose, despite having a profound effect on the clinical course of the disease.