Interleukin-4 (IL-4), also designated B cell stimulatory factor-1, is a glycosylated cytokine secreted by activated T lymphocytes, basophils and mast cells. The secreted IL-4 protein promotes the growth and differentiation of cells that participate in immune defense by favoring such events as the expansion of the Th2 lineage relative to Th1 cells. These T helper cell subsets are defined by their pattern of cytokine secretion: Th1 cells secrete IL-2, TNFβ and IFN-γ, while Th2 cells secrete IL-4, IL-5 and IL-10. Another key immunological function of IL-4 is to induce immunoglobulin class switching. IL-4 has been shown to induce the production of IgE and enhance IgG4 secretion by B cells, but suppress the production of IgM, IgA, IgG1, IgG2, and IgG3. It has been determined that Stat6 is rapidly tyrosine phosphorylated following stimulation of IL-3 or IL-4, but is not detectably phosphorylated following stimulation with IL-2, IL-12 or erythropoietin.
