ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on eosinophil interaction with the proteins of the extracellular matrix (ECM) because a key feature of many of these molecules is their ability to interact with cell-surface receptors on eosinophils and other pro-inflammatory cells with profound functional consequences. The ECM is a relatively stable structure that underlies the epithelia and surrounds connective tissue cells; it is made up of at least four major classes of macromolecules, the collagens, proteoglycans, elastin, and the glycoproteins. The nature and function of the connective tissue determines the relative proportions of each of these constituent molecules. Fibronectins are abundant in the ECM and represent a complex and heterogeneous group of molecules that play an important role in processes as diverse as embryogenesis, thymocyte maturation, and T-cell function. Laminins are a family of large complex glycoproteins that are found primarily in basement membranes. Eosinophils are primarily tissue-dwelling cells, therefore interaction with the ECM proteins are likely to influence their functional ability.
