Purpose of review: The purpose of this study is to describe the current knowledge regarding mediators involved in anaphylactic reactions, with a special focus on key effector cells and mechanisms.
Recent findings: New insight into the potential relevance of pathways other than mast cell degranulation has been unravelled, such as the role of cytokines, platelet activation factor, lipid mediators and their metabolism or the activation of the contact system.
Summary: Gaining knowledge into these pathophysiologic mechanisms will allow researchers to pursue the identification of risk factors and new preventive and therapeutic strategies in anaphylaxis.