Eosinophil Chemotactic Factor (ECF)

An eosinophil chemotactic factor (ECF) can be released from human polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN), rat mononuclear and rat mast cells by the calcium ionophore, during phagocytosis, by arachidonic acid and phospholipase A2. It has been suggested that stimuli such as the ionophore and the phagocytic event lead to phospholipid turnover with the generation of arachidonic acid which is subsequently transformed by a lipoxygenase-like enzyme into ECF. Chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 11 (CCL11) is a small cytokine belonging to the CC chemokine family that is also known as eotaxin-1. CCL11 selectively recruits eosinophils by inducing their chemotaxis, and therefore, is implicated in allergic responses.