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Interleukin-13 in asthma pathogenesis

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Abstract

Numerous studies have clearly shown that the Th2 cytokine, interleukin (IL)-13, is the central regulator of the allergic diathesis. Initial studies in animal models of disease provided compelling evidence that IL-13, independent of other Th2 cytokines, was both necessary and sufficient to induce all features of allergic asthma. The importance of IL-13 in allergic disorders in humans is supported by consistent associations between tissue IL-13 levels and genetic variants in the IL-13 gene with asthma and related traits. With the preponderance of evidence continuing to support the importance of IL-13 in allergic disorders, attention is now turned toward understanding the mechanisms by which this cytokine might mediate the pathophysiologic features of allergic disease. The emerging paradigm is that IL-13 induces features of the allergic response via its actions on epithelial cells and smooth muscle cells, not through traditional effector pathways involving eosinophils and IgE-mediated events. In light of these recent developments, in this review our current understanding of the role of IL-13 in the pathogenesis of asthma is explored, with a particular focus on new insights into the mechanisms by which IL-13 induces the features of asthma.

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  1. Division of Immunobiology, Children’s Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnett Avenue MLC 7038, 45208, Cincinnati, OH, USA

    Marsha Wills- Karp PhD

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Karp, M.W. Interleukin-13 in asthma pathogenesis. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep 4, 123–131 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11882-004-0057-6

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