title: Cytokines or their antagonists for the treatment of asthma.
abstract: T helper (Th) type 2 cytokines, particularly interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, and IL-13, may be important in the development of allergic asthma. Humanized monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) against IL-5 and a recombinant human soluble IL-4 receptor (sIL-4R) have been developed as possible treatments. These approaches have not yet proven to be successful in patients with persistent asthma. This may suggest that neither IL-4 nor IL-5 is important in asthma pathogenesis. There is, however, insufficient information about the efficacy of sIL-4R and the anti-IL-5 MoAbs in asthma to draw any firm conclusions about the importance of these Th2 cytokines. Also, the administration of the potentially antiinflammatory cytokines IL-12 and interferon-gamma has not shown benefit in asthmatic patients. By contrast, the treatment of severe oral steroid-dependent asthma with soluble tumor necrosis factor-alpha receptor has demonstrated very promising results, suggesting that this cytokine plays an important role in the persistence of severe asthma.
authors.affiliation: McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada. obyrnep@mcmaster.ca
authors.forename: Paul M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: O'Byrne
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001249:Asthma / Q000145:classification / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D006801:Humans; D018793:Interleukin-13 / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents; D016207:Cytokines; D018793:Interleukin-13; D015848:Interleukin-5; D015847:Interleukin-4