Interleukin (IL)-32, also named natural killer cell transcript 4 (NK4), has increasingly been described as an immunoregulator that controls cell differentiation and cell death and is involved in the stimulation of anti-/pro-inflammatory cytokines. Abnormal presence of IL-32 has been repeatedly noticed during the pathogenesis of allergic, infectious, cancerous, and inflammatory diseases. Of particular note was the observation of the anti-inflammatory property of IL-32 in a murine ovalbumin model of allergic asthma. Compared to wild-type mice, IL-32γ transgenic mice show decreased levels of inflammatory cells, recruited eosinophils, and lymphocytes in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in a mouse model of acute asthma. To date, the molecular mechanism underlying the role of IL-32 in asthma remains to be elucidated. This review aims to summarize recent advances in the pathophysiology of asthma and describe the links to IL-32. The possibilities of using IL-32 as an airway inflammation biomarker and an asthma therapeutic agent are also evaluated.
CITATION STYLE
Xin, T., Chen, M., Duan, L., Xu, Y., & Gao, P. (2018, June 25). Interleukin-32: Its role in asthma and potential as a therapeutic agent. Respiratory Research. BioMed Central Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12931-018-0832-x
Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.