Submitted June 12, 2006
Accepted September 6, 2006
When is a mouse basophil not a basophil?
James J Lee* and Michael P McGarry
Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Mayo Clinic Arizona, Scottsdale, AZ
Animal Care and Technologies, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
* Corresponding author; email: jjlee{at}mayo.edu.
The identification and characterization of mouse basophils have historically been hampered by the extreme rarity of this cell type. Virtually no photomicrographs of hematologically stained (e.g., Wright-Giemsa) examples of mouse basophils exist in the literature. However, four recent papers in the last two years have used flow cytometry and a defined set of cell surface markers to identify and subsequently isolate mouse "basophils", including the publication of stained cytospin preparations of these cells. Surprisingly, a reevaluation of the data from all four of the papers revealed several issues of concern which suggest that the cells under study are not necessarily basophils. Nonetheless, we propose that these manuscripts do provide the foundation for a reevaluation of the defining characteristics of a basophil and/or provide support for the provocative conclusion that a new previously overlooked leukocyte subtype has been identified. The purpose of this commentary is to revisit these previously published papers, highlight the relevant issues, and provide a different perspective in the hope of developing a consensus within the research community as to the true identity of the "basophils" described in these studies.
