| 摘要 |
<p>An eosinophil chemotactic factor which is constantly secreted by a T cell clone STO-2 is partially purified and a specific antibody was generated. Using this antibody, a DNA library derived from the clone was screened to find that ecalectin, a galectin consisting of 323 amino acids has a specific eosinophil chemotactic activity. Use of the galectin makes it possible to provide an agent having an effect of increasing eosinophils in a tissue, and a method for screening compounds inhibiting the effect. Moreover, an agent containing as an effective ingredient a compound that inhibits eosinophil increase in a tissue, is effective as therapeutic, preventive or ameliorative agents for various allergic diseases, such as bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis, which are typical delayed inflammatory diseases attributed to eosinophils.</p> |
