title: Analysis of changes in expression of IL-4/IL-13/STAT6 pathway and correlation with the selected clinical parameters in patients with atopic asthma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Asthma is associated with activation of interleukin-4 (IL-4)/interleukin-13 (IL-13)/signal transducer and activator of transcription factor-6(STAT6) inflammatory response via overexpression of all pathway components: IL-4, IL-13, and STAT6.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the association of IL-4, IL-13, and STAT6 expression and immunoexpression with atopic asthma development.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty patients with atopic asthma and 20 healthy controls were enrolled into the study. Relative gene expression was analyzed by qPCR method. Immunoexpression was assessed by ELISA method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The expression levels of IL-4, IL-13, and STAT6 were higher in patients compared to the controls, but a statistically significant difference was observed only for IL-13 (P = 0.03). In immunoexpression analysis, a statistically significant difference between patients and controls was found for IgE (P = 0.03). Significant positive correlations in the patient group were found between IL-13 gene expression and total level of serum IgE (rho = 0.230, P = 0.033), STAT6 gene/STAT6 protein and total level of serum IgE (STAT6: rho = 0.077, P = 0.038; STAT6: rho = 0.049, P = 0.042), IL-4, and STAT6 expression (rho = 0.098, P = 0.048). Any significant correlations were found between expression/immunoexpression levels of the studied genes and clinical classification, clinical features, or lung function parameters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data support the role of Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-13) and STAT6 in Th1/Th2 imbalance and highlight the etiological relationship between IL-4/IL-13/STAT6 signaling and atopy and asthma.
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Oncological Pulmonology, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Antczak
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Bases of Medicine, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland daria.domanska@umed.lodz.pl.
authors.forename: Daria
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Domańska-Senderowska
authors.affiliation: Department of Pneumonology and Allergy, 1st Chair of Internal Diseases, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: Paweł
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Górski
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Bases of Medicine, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: Dorota
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pastuszak-Lewandoska
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Oncological Pulmonology, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nielepkowicz-Goździńska
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Bases of Medicine, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: Karolina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Szewczyk
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Bases of Medicine, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: Zofia
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kurmanowska
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Bases of Medicine, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: Justyna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kiszałkiewicz
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Bases of Medicine, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brzeziańska-Lasota
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D018793:Interleukin-13 / Q000276:immunology*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D050800:STAT6 Transcription Factor / Q000276:immunology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000276:immunology*; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: C578095:IL13 protein, human; C508598:IL4 protein, human; D018793:Interleukin-13; D050800:STAT6 Transcription Factor; C494101:STAT6 protein, human; D015847:Interleukin-4
keywords: IL-4; Il-13; STAT6; atopic asthma