title: [Involvement of interleukin-4, and -13 in the pathogenesis of allergic diseases].
abstract: Allergic diseases are immunologic disorders in which various kinds of cells and many mediators are involved. Among them, the importance of interleukin(IL)-4 and IL-13 has recently emerged, based on the analyses of cytokine expression profiles in lesions, model mice, genetic factors, and responses to newly developed reagents. It is known that IL-4 and IL-13 are involved in the pathogenesis of allergic diseases, particularly bronchial asthma, by inducing class switching in B cells and expansion of Th2-type cells. However, IL-4 and IL-13 have a pivotal role in causing bronchial asthma by acting directly on bronchial tissues. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that a single nucleotide polymorphism in the IL-13 gene is genetically correlated with bronchial asthma. These analyses provide new information for developing better methods of diagnosing and treating bronchial asthma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Saga Medical School, Saga 849-8501.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Izuhara
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D016535:Bronchial Hyperreactivity / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D018793:Interleukin-13 / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D053661:Interleukin-13 Receptor alpha1 Subunit; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D018123:Receptors, Interleukin / Q000737:chemistry; D053660:Receptors, Interleukin-13; D019948:Receptors, Interleukin-4 / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: C508181:IL13RA1 protein, human; C508183:Il13ra1 protein, mouse; D018793:Interleukin-13; D053661:Interleukin-13 Receptor alpha1 Subunit; D018123:Receptors, Interleukin; D053660:Receptors, Interleukin-13; D019948:Receptors, Interleukin-4; D015847:Interleukin-4