Signaling of IL 4 and IL 13 Genetic Variants in Asthma Pathogenesis

Prevalence of chronic disorder like asthma has dramatically increased in recent decades. These are mainly disorder of immune system, the results of complex interactions among various genetic and environmental factors. Interleukin 4 and 13, a Th2- type cytokine play key role in inflammatory pathway, emerged in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma. Both are act as central regulator in IgE synthesis, mucus hyper-secretion and airway hyper-responsiveness. In this review, we described the signal transduction mechanism of IL4/13 pathway, ligand and their receptor involvement in inflammatory pathway. Summarizes the information related to the association of interleukin genes with asthma. Report ranges from studies showing positive or protective association to those showing no association. Therefore, studies with sufficiently large sample size and detailed phenotype are required to define the potential contribution of interleukin genes in the pathogenesis of asthma.