title: Relationships between specific serum IgE, cytokines and polymorphisms in the IL-4, IL-4Ralpha in patients with penicillins allergy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Excessive production of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-13 and interferon (IFN)-gamma is thought to be important in the development of allergic disease and atopy. Several investigators have linked the IL-4 and IL-4R genes to allergic disease and atopy. The aim of this study is to further explore the mechanism of penicillins allergy and evaluate the possible role of the IL-4 C-589T and IL-4RalphaQ576R polymorphisms in modulating the allergic responses to penicillins.
  
  
  METHODS
  Radioallergosorbent test (RAST) was used to detect eight kinds of specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) to penicillins in serum. Serum levels of IL-4, IL-13 and IFN-gamma were measured by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The IL-4 C-589T and IL-4RalphaQ576R polymorphisms were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with control subjects, there were significantly higher levels of IL-4, IL-13 and IFN-gamma in allergic patients with positive specific IgE (P < 0.01), and the lower levels of IL-4 and IFN-gamma were observed in allergic patients with negative specific IgE (P < 0.05). We found a growing trend of IL-4 and IL-13 levels with the kind increasing of positive specific IgE, and even there were significant correlations between the three kinds of cytokines and many kinds of specific IgE (P < 0.05). The IL-4Ralpha*Q576 allele was significantly increased in patients with penicillins allergy compared with control subjects (P < 0.01). Furthermore, the allele was strongly associated with increased serum-specific benzylpenicilloyl (BPO)-, phenoxomethylpenicillanyl (PVA)- or ampicillanyl (APA)-IgE levels in patients with positive specific IgE (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that IL-4, IL-13 and IFN-gamma play an important roles in penicillins allergy. The IL-4RalphaQ576R polymorphism may involve in the development of penicillins allergy, and through modulating specific serum IgE levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.
authors.forename: H-L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Qiao
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Y-W
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001120:Arginine; D002648:Child; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D004342:Drug Hypersensitivity / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005973:Glutamine; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000378:metabolism*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D018793:Interleukin-13 / Q000097:blood; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D053662:Interleukin-4 Receptor alpha Subunit; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010406:Penicillins / Q000009:adverse effects*; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000235:genetics; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; C504000:IL4R protein, human; D018793:Interleukin-13; D053662:Interleukin-4 Receptor alpha Subunit; D010406:Penicillins; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D005973:Glutamine; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D001120:Arginine