title: Possible different serum IL-4 levels across populations: a reason for dissimilar incidence of Th1 and Th2 diseases.
abstract: The incidence of a number of Th1 and Th2 diseases differs across populations. Interleukin-4 (IL-4) is a dispensable cytokine for the development of a type 2 immune response. Studies in which serum IL-4 levels were quantified in a healthy control group from some European and Asian countries propose that serum IL-4 levels may be higher in Asian compared to European countries. A simultaneous measurement of serum IL-4 levels in healthy individuals from different populations in a reference lab is needed to confirm different IL-4 levels across populations. If so, increased IL-4 levels might be an explanation for dissimilar incidence of some Th1 and Th2 diseases in different courtiers.
authors.affiliation: Shiraz Institute for Cancer Research, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. mojtahedizahra@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Mojtahedi
mesh_terms: D001208:Asia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007154:Immune System Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000276:immunology*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000097:blood*; D018448:Models, Immunological; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D015847:Interleukin-4