- Biomed Rep
- PMC3917548
Biomed Rep. Nov 2013; 1(6): 837–839.
Published online Sep 12, 2013. doi: 10.3892/br.2013.166
PMCID: PMC3917548
The emerging role of interleukin-21 in allergic diseases (Review)
Abstract
Interleukin (IL)-21 is a newly discovered member of the type I cytokine family. Since its discovery in 2000, IL-21 has been the focus of extensive investigation, due to its homology to IL-2, IL-4 and IL-15 and its pleiotropic effects on innate and adaptive immune responses. An increasing amount of experimental evidence supports a role for IL-21 in the pathogenesis of several allergic diseases, such as allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis (AD) and atopic asthma. In this review, we aimed to discuss the biological characteristics of IL-21 and summarize the current progress on the role of IL-21 in the regulation of allergic inflammation.
Keywords: interleukin-21, atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, atopic asthma
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