Interleukin‐13 in asthma pathogenesis

Bronchial asthma is a complex disorder that is thought to arise as a result of aberrant T-lymphocyte responses to noninfectious environmental antigens. In particular, the symptoms of asthma are closely associated with the presence of activated T-helper 2 cell (Th2) cytokine-producing cells [interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, IL-9, and IL-13] in the airway wall. Although each of the Th2 cytokines likely contributes to the overall immune response directed against environmental antigens, a substantial body of evidence points to a singular role for IL-13 in the regulation of the allergic diathesis. Initial studies in animal models of disease provided compelling evidence that IL-13, independently of other Th2 cytokines, was…