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Mechanisms and pharmacologic control of basophil-derived IL-4 and IL-13
J T Schroeder1, D W MacGlashan, L M Lichtenstein
1Johns Hopkins Asthma and Allergy Center, Division of Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Abstract:
Human basophils represent a major source of interleukin (IL) 4 and 13 protein, cytokines which share several biological activities central to the pathogenesis of allergic inflammation. Studies show that the production of these cytokines differs with respect to mode of activation and the time course of their secretion. Pharmacologic evidence indicates that IL-4 generation, which is most prominent with IgE-dependent activation, is mediated through a calcineurin-dependent pathway. In contrast, multiple pathways seem evident in the regulation of IL-13 in basophils.