Interleukin-3 (IL-3) is a cytokine expressed primarily in activated T
cells mast cells and natural killer (NK) cells. Interleukin-3 has the
capability to stimulate the proliferation and differentiation of multi
potential stem cells and has a role in shaping the immune response. In
order to better understand the biological role of IL-3, a study of po
lymorphisms within the human IL-3 gene and its upstream regulatory ele
ments has been conducted. Using a modification of the bidirectional di
deoxy fingerprinting method, a group of 88 Caucasoid individuals were
screened for polymorphism in the IL-3 enhancer, promoter and gene codi
ng regions. Analysis revealed the presence of several infrequent polym
orphisms which may affect IL-3 functionality. (C) 1998 Academic Press
Limited.