title: Plasma IL-25 is elevated in a subgroup of patients with clinical reactivity to peanut.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  One of the IL-17 family members, IL-25, has been implicated with the initiation and amplification of Th2 responses in animal models and has been associated with airway hyper-reactivity. The involvement of IL-25 and also IL-17 in food allergic disease remains to be investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this study thirty children suspected of peanut allergic disease underwent a double-blind placebo controlled food challenge (DBPCFC) and IL-25 and IL-17 plasma levels were determined before and after challenge. IL-25 was highly elevated only in subgroup of children with a positive DBPCFC outcome. Plasma IL-25 was absent in children with a negative DBPCFC outcome and in healthy controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows that IL-25, an IL-17 family member, is highly elevated only in children with a clinical response to peanut. This suggests a role for IL-25 in the pathogenesis of peanut allergy and elevated plasma IL-25 may be a sign of a severe atopic phenotype.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Translational Immunology, Department of Paediatric Immunology, University Medical Centre, PO BOX 85090, Utrecht 3508 AB, The Netherlands. F.vanwijk@umcutrecht.nl.
authors.forename: Joost A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Aalberse
authors.forename: Anders O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: van Thuijl
authors.forename: Yolanda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Meijer
authors.forename: Wilco
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: de Jager
authors.forename: Tjitske
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: van der Palen-Merkus
authors.forename: Aline B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Sprikkelman
authors.forename: Maarten O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Hoekstra
authors.forename: Berent J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Prakken
authors.forename: Femke
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: van Wijk