Allergy and asthma take a dip in the gene pool

Genetic factors play a role in susceptibility to allergy and asthma. In particular, IL-13 is a gene associated with allergy and is known to be naturally present in different forms. Appearing online on February 10 in advance of publication in the March 1 print edition of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Donata Vercelli and colleagues from the University of Arizona study this natural genetic variation. The authors show that, in cells, distinct genetic variants of IL-13 differentially promote the mechanisms that lead to allergic inflammation.

This is because the variants bind cellular proteins differently and have altered functions inside the cell. The work adds to our understanding of how genetic variation contributes to the pathogenesis of complex diseases.

TITLE: IL-13 R130Q, a common variant associated with allergy and asthma, enhances effector mechanisms essential for human allergic inflammation

AUTHOR CONTACT: Donata Vercelli
University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona USA
Phone: (520) 626-6387; Fax: (520) 626-6623; E-mail: donata@arc.arizona.edu

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Contact: Stacie Bloom - staciebloom@the-jci.org
Journal of Clinical Investigation, March 1, 2005