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FcεRI, or Fc epsilon RI, is the high-affinity receptor for immunoglobulin E (IgE), an antibody isotype involved in allergy and (arguably) resistance to parasites.
FcεRI is expressed predominantly on mast cells and basophils. Crosslinking of the FcεRI via IgE-allergen complexes leads to degranulation of the cells and release of inflammatory mediators. At laboratory conditions degranulation of isolated basophils can also be induced with antibodies to the FcεRI which crosslink the receptor. Such crosslinking and potentially pathogenic autoantibodies to the FcεRI have been isolated from human cord blood, which suggest that they occur naturally and are present already at birth. However their epitope on FcεRI was masked by IgE and the affinity of the corresponding autoantibodies found in healthy adults appeared lowered.
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