IL-5 is a 115-amino acid (in human, 133 in the mouse) -long Th2 cytokine that is part of the hematopoietic family. Unlike other members of this cytokine family (namely interleukin 3 and GM-CSF), this glycoprotein in its active form is a homodimer.
IL-5 has long been associated with the cause of several allergic diseases including allergic rhinitis and asthma, wherein a large increase in the number of circulating, airway tissue, and induced sputum eosinophils have been observed. Given the high concordance of eosinophils and, in particular, allergic asthma pathology, it has been widely speculated that eosinophils have an important role in the pathology of this disease.
Eosinophils are terminally differentiated granulocytes found in most mammals. The principal role of these cells, in a healthy host, is the elimination of antibody bound parasites through the release of cytotoxic granule proteins. Given that eosinophils are the primary IL-5Rα-expressing cells, it is not surprising that this cell type responds to IL-5. In fact, IL-5 was originally discovered as an eosinophil colony-stimulating factor, is a major regulator of eosinophil accumulation in tissues, and can modulate eosinophil behavior at every stage from maturation to survival. Mepolizumab is a monoclonal antibody antagonist IL-5 which can reduce excessive eosinophilia.
In Hodgkin lymphoma, the typically observed eosinophilia is thought to be attributable to an increased production of IL-5.
The IL-5 receptor is composed of an α and a βc chain. The α subunit is specific for the IL-5 molecule, whereas the βc subunit also recognised by interleukin 3 (IL-3) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). Glycosylation of the Asn196 residue of the Rα subunit appears to be essential for binding of IL-5.
↑"Human PubMed Reference:". National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
↑"Mouse PubMed Reference:". National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
↑Milburn MV, Hassell AM, Lambert MH, Jordan SR, Proudfoot AE, Graber P, Wells TN (May 1993). "A novel dimer configuration revealed by the crystal structure at 2.4 A resolution of human interleukin-5". Nature. 363 (6425): 172–176. Bibcode:1993Natur.363..172M. doi:10.1038/363172a0. PMID8483502. S2CID4254991.
↑Bradding P, Roberts JA, Britten KM, Montefort S, Djukanovic R, Mueller R, etal. (May 1994). "Interleukin-4, -5, and -6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in normal and asthmatic airways: evidence for the human mast cell as a source of these cytokines". American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology. 10 (5): 471–480. doi:10.1165/ajrcmb.10.5.8179909. PMID8179909.
↑Kaminuma O, Mori A, Kitamura N, Hashimoto T, Kitamura F, Inokuma S, Miyatake S (2005). "Role of GATA-3 in IL-5 gene transcription by CD4+ T cells of asthmatic patients". International Archives of Allergy and Immunology. 137 (Suppl 1): 55–59. doi:10.1159/000085433. PMID15947486. S2CID25517499.
↑Berti A, Atzeni F, Dagna L, Del Giacco S, Emmi G, Salvarani C, Vaglio A (February 2023). "Targeting the interleukin-5 pathway in EGPA: evidence, uncertainties and opportunities". Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. 82 (2): 164–168. doi:10.1136/ard-2022-223044. hdl:11368/3098847. PMID36357156. S2CID253457684.
↑Boggu PR, Kim Y, Jung SH (November 2019). "Discovery of benzimidazole analogs as a novel interleukin-5 inhibitors". European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. 181 111574. doi:10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.111574. PMID31400705. S2CID199527755.
↑Giembycz MA, Lindsay MA (June 1999). "Pharmacology of the eosinophil". Pharmacological Reviews. 51 (2): 213–340. PMID10353986.
↑Di Biagio E, Sánchez-Borges M, Desenne JJ, Suárez-Chacón R, Somoza R, Acquatella G (July 1996). "Eosinophilia in Hodgkin's disease: a role for interleukin 5". International Archives of Allergy and Immunology. 110 (3): 244–251. doi:10.1159/000237294. PMID8688671.
12Tavernier J, Devos R, Cornelis S, Tuypens T, Van der Heyden J, Fiers W, Plaetinck G (September 1991). "A human high affinity interleukin-5 receptor (IL5R) is composed of an IL5-specific alpha chain and a beta chain shared with the receptor for GM-CSF". Cell. 66 (6): 1175–1184. doi:10.1016/0092-8674(91)90040-6. PMID1833065. S2CID54277241.