title: Increased interleukin-4 and decreased interferon-γ levels in serum of children with asthma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Immune and inflammatory responses, mediated by cytokines, play important roles in the pathophysiology of asthma. These responses are associated with over expression of T helper (Th)-2 cytokine, particularly interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-5, and decreased expression of Th-1 cytokine, IL-2 and IFN-γ. We hypothesized that there would be an imbalance in the levels of circulating IL-4 and IFN-γ in the asthmatic subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated serum levels of IL-4 and IFN-γ among eighty children (18 steroid-naïve, 30 steroid-treated children with asthma and 32 healthy controls) using commercially available ELISA kits.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum level of IL-4 was significantly higher in steroid-naïve group of asthmatic children compared to the healthy control subjects and was lower in steroid-treated group though the level was statistically not significant. In contrast, serum levels of IFN-γ were significantly lower in both steroid-naïve and steroid-treated groups of asthmatic children compared to healthy control subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of our study suggest that serum level of IL-4 may be elevated in concert with decreased level of IFN-γ in asthma. Determination of serum levels of IL-4 and IFN-γ may be a useful tool for understanding the disease processes in asthma.
authors.affiliation: Cellular Immunology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of North Bengal, Rajarammohanpur, Siliguri 734 013, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Manoj
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lama
authors.forename: Mridula
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chatterjee
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Nayak
authors.forename: Tapas Kumar
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Chaudhuri
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood*; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D013256:Steroids / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C508598:IL4 protein, human; C508599:IL5 protein, human; D007376:Interleukin-2; D015848:Interleukin-5; D013256:Steroids; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma