“…This antigen has been shown to be implicated in the initiation and the development of parasitic diseases including malaria (Vouldoukis et al ., 1995a; Velupillai et al ., 1997; Perlmann et al ., 1999; Nacher et al ., 2002). Pharmacologically, the engagement of CD23 antigen at the surface of immunocompetent cells has been shown to induce the production of pro‐inflammatory cytokines, nitric oxide (NO) and free radicals (Paul‐Eugene et al ., 1995b; Yamaoka and Kolb, 1995; Bayon et al ., 1998; Kolb et al ., 2001). In this context, we found that the cell surface expression of the CD23b antigen at the surface of normal human endothelial cells was obtained after IL‐4+ PRBC stimulation and that the triggering of the CD23 antigen by anti‐CD23 monoclonal antibodies stimulated the production of NO after induction of the inducible form of NO synthase (iNOS).…”