Pharmaceutical Use of Alpha Antigen or Alpha Antigen Gene

Abstract

The α antigen-encoding gene and the α antigen protein suppress the production of interleukin-4 etc., improve the Th2 type cytokine-dominant state, and furthermore inhibit various conditions of allergic diseases such as IgE production, histamine release and eosinophil infiltration, and therefore they are very effective for the prevention or treatment of atopic diseases such as atopic dermatitis, asthma, allergic rhinitis, and allergic conjunctivitis, and more broadly allergic diseases.

1 . A method for treating atopic dermatitis or asthma, comprising administering to a mammal in need of such treatment an effective amount of a polypeptide with at least 75% amino acid sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 2. 
     
     
         2 . A method for treating atopic dermatitis or asthma, comprising administering to a mammal in need of such treatment an effective amount of a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to any one of  claims 1  and  2 , wherein said mammal is a human. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to any one of  claims 1  and  2 , wherein alveolar eosinophil infiltration in said mammal is decreased. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said polypeptide consists of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2.