title: Anti-interleukin-4 inhibits immunoglobulin E production in a murine model of atopic asthma.
abstract: Immunoglobulin E (IgE) plays an important role in allergy, acting as an initiating factor and being involved in its persistence and exacerbations. As interleukin-4 (IL-4) is critical in IgE synthesis, we propose that treatment of mice with monoclonal anti-IL-4 (11B11) prior to active sensitization with ovalbumin will inhibit IgE synthesis, therefore arresting the allergic process at an early stage. Mice treated with 11B11 and sensitized with saline or ovalbumin had significantly less serum IgE than their respective control groups which were treated with saline (p < 0.05). This study suggests that anti-IL-4 may be a prophylactic agent in asthma and allergic disease.
authors.affiliation: Creighton University Allergic Disease Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68178, USA.
authors.forename: C Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: I C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Crocker
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Koenig
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Romero
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Townley
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D007114:Immunization; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D010047:Ovalbumin