A 34-year-old woman with seasonal allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis presents 8 hours after visiting a friend who owns two cats. One hour after arriving, she developed acute wheezing and chest tightness that partially improved with albuterol. Her dyspnea has now returned and progressively worsened. Examination reveals diffuse expiratory wheezing and a respiratory rate of 22/min. CBC shows an absolute eosinophil count of 850/µL. A bronchial biopsy performed 6 months ago during allergy workup shows thickening of the reticular layer beneath the epithelium, dense eosinophilic infiltration of the lamina propria, smooth muscle hypertrophy, and focal areas of epithelial denudation.
Which of the following best explains the mechanism responsible for the epithelial denudation seen on this patient's biopsy?