Background: Interleukin 13 (IL-13) shares several functional properties with IL-4 and has been shown to be capable of inducing IgE synthesis.
Objective: To determine whether the production of IL-13 by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) is connected with the development of AD.
Methods: We examined PBMC from 52 patients with AD and 23 healthy volunteers as controls. PBMC were cultured with or without antigen extracted either from Dermatophagoides farinae or house dust for 48 h, and then the supernatants were measured for IL-13 by competitive enzyme immunoassay. We also examined the effect of the immunosuppressant FK506 on the production of IL-13 by antigen-stimulated PBMC from AD patients.
Results: The levels of IL-13 produced by non-stimulated PBMC in AD were significantly higher than those in controls. The IL-13 levels in AD were increased after antigen stimulation and were higher than those in controls. Moreover, the enhanced production of IL-13 in AD was suppressed by FK506.
Conclusion: We suggest that IL-13 may play some role in the development of AD.