嗜鹼性球參與了許多形式的發炎反應,尤其是造成過敏的種類。嗜鹼性球中含有稱為肝素的抗凝血劑,可避免血液太快凝集,也含有血管擴張劑組織胺,可促進血液流至組織中,嗜鹼性球在受寄生蟲感染的部位會異常增高,如同嗜酸性球,嗜鹼性球在對抗寄生蟲感染與過敏反應都扮演重要的角色,大量出現於發生過敏的組織中[5]。嗜鹼性球的細胞膜表面有可與IgE結合的蛋白質受體,IgE是一種參與對抗寄生蟲感染與過敏反應的抗體,結合在嗜鹼性球上的IgE可對環境中的物質產生選擇性的過敏反應,如花粉粒或某些寄生蟲。有研究顯示嗜鹼性球可能為抗原呈現細胞,可以第二類主要組織相容性複合體(英语:MHC class II)(MHC II)將抗原呈現於細胞表面以供T細胞辨識,促進T細胞分化為TH2輔助細胞,但也有研究認為嗜鹼性球僅能在樹突細胞促進TH2輔助細胞的分化後起到增強作用[6]。
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