All issues > Volume 48(6); 2005

Original Article

Korean J Pediatr. 2005;48(6):634-639. Published online June 15, 2005.

DNA Methylation Change of IL-4 Gene from T Cell in Allergic Children

Jae Won JW Oh¹, Myung Gul MG Yum¹, Chang Ryul CR Kim¹, In-Joon IJ Seol¹, Su A SA Shin¹, Ha Baik HB Lee¹, Se Jin SJ Jang²

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Korea
²Department of Pathology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Correspondence Jae Won JW Oh ,Email: jaewonoh@hanyang.ac.kr

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.

Keywords :Methylation , Allergy , Child , T cell