Analysis of two IL-4 promoter polymorphisms in a cohort of atopic and asthmatic subjects

The Th2 cytokine interleukin 4 (IL-4) has been identified as having a centr al role in driving the inflammatory immune responses which are present in a topic airway disease. This study examined the distribution of two putative IL-4 promoter polymorphisms (-285 C-T and -81 A-G) in groups of patients wi th severe and moderate asthma, non-asthmatic atopy and control subjects. Ne ither polymorphism was identified in any of the samples tested. The data su ggest that either the polymorphisms are present at very low frequencies or are artefacts of the B cell lines from which they were identified.