Matthews, David J.; (1997) A study of b cell responses induced by IL-4 and IL-13. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

The high degree of biological similarity between IL-4 and IL-13 has been attributed to both cytokine receptors sharing a receptor component. Two proteins were implicated, the IL-4Ra chain and yc (a promiscuous receptor component common to the receptors for IL-2, IL-4, IL-7, IL-9, and IL-15). One of the main aims of this thesis was to identify which receptor component is shared between IL-4 and IL-13. To approach this problem B cells donated from X-SCID patients were used to determine the importance of the yc for cellular responses to IL-4 and IL-13. X-SCID B cells responded to IL-4 and IL-13 apparently normally suggesting that the yc was not the shared receptor component. Blocking IL-4Ra antibodies and the competitive inhibitor IL4.Y124D inhibited B cell responses to both IL- 4 and IL-13. The conclusion from these experiments is that there are two IL-4 receptors. In addition, and that there is strong evidence suggesting that the second IL-4 receptor is also the IL-13 receptor. These results have important implications for our understanding of B cell responses to IL-4 and the nature of the X-SCID defect.

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