Korean J Pediatr.
2005 Jun;48(6):634-639.
DNA Methylation Change of IL-4 Gene from T Cell in Allergic Children
- Affiliations
-
- 1Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, jaewonoh@hanyang.ac.kr
- 2Department of Pathology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Abstract
- PURPOSE
An understanding of the immunological process is required if primary prevention of atopic diseases is to be developed in early childhood. But, it is too hard to distinguish atopy from nonatopy under the age of two clinically, because the expression of phenotype and cytokines is vague in early childhood. We evaluated DNA methylation changes at Th2 interleukin-4 gene in peripheral blood from atopic children. METHODS: We selected 15 allergic children (mild: eight, moderate to severe: seven) and seven normal controls by using family allergy scores and clinical histories. We measured Total IgE and Der f II specific IgE levels and cultured peripheral blood mononuclear cells with Der f II stimulation and extracted DNA from Der f II specific T cells. We examined the change of CpG methylation in DNA from atopic and nonatopic children. RESULTS: In T cells from normal children, IL-4 DNA were predominantly methylated; otherwise, CpG demethylation occurred in Der f II specific T cells from allergic children. CONCLUSION: IL-4 DNA methylation changes occurred in T genes from allergic children and DNA methylation assay in early childhood.
