Clinical characteristics, cytokine profiles and plasma IgE in adults with asthma.

Asthma is a disease with complicated network of inflammatory responses of cytokines and ImmunoglobulinE (IgE). The aim of this study was to explore the clinical characteristics, cytokine profile and plasma IgE in the Malaysian population. This is a cross-sectional study involving physician-diagnosed asthma patients (n = 287) recruited from the Chest Clinic, University of Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC).

Relationship between various cytokines implicated in asthma.

Asthma is a complex disorder involving immunologic, environmental, genetic and other factors. Today, asthma is the most common disease encountered in clinical medicine in both children and adults worldwide. Asthma is characterized by increased responsiveness of the tracheobronchial tree resulting in chronic swelling and inflammation of the airways recognized to be controlled by the T-helper 2 (Th2) lymphocytes, which secrete cytokines to increase the production of IgE by B cells.