Abstract
Interleukin 4, (IL4) known as a lymphokine secreted by type II helper T-cells, is thought to regulate IgG and IgE secretions. Therefore, elevated IL4 levels are expected in atopic allergic disease and parasitoses.
The purpose of this study was to determine IL 4 levels in allergic asthmatic children. In 50 extrinsic atopic children (19 females, 31 males, mean age 8 ± 4), IgE and IL 4 were found to be 469 ± 296 U/L and 0.318 ± 0.09 ng/ml, respectively. In seven control cases, IgE and IL4 levels were 62 ± 25 and 0.106 ± 0.017, respectively.
Comparison of the two groups disclosed statistically significant differences in IL4 and IgE levels, suggesting the ability of IL4 to augment IgE production.
Keywords: helper T cell, lymphokine, interleukin 4, atopic asthma
Copyright and license
Copyright © 1994 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
