SummaryPrevious studies have demonstrated increased production of interleukin‐4 (IL‐4) and reduced production of interferon (IFN)‐γ in stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cell cultures from children and adults with atopic dermatitis, however, it is unclear whether such an imbalance of cytokine production relates to other childhood atopic diseases such as asthma, and in particular to the presence of the atopic state per se. The production of IL‐4 and IFNγ in phytohaemagglutin‐ (PHA)‐stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) cultures from atopic and non‐atopic children with moderately severe chronic persistent asthma, and a group of age‐matched non‐atopic controls who did not have asthma was examined. Atopic children with asthma produced significantly more IL‐4 and less IFNγ than non‐atopic children with asthma and non‐atopic controls who did not have asthma. There was no significant difference in IL‐4 or IFNγ production between non‐atopic children with asthma and controls. These findir. 3 demonstrate that an imbalance of IL‐4 and IFNγ production is present in atopic asthma as previously documented in atopic dermatitis, therefore suggesting that it is a
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