The IL33 gene encodes IL-33, an important inflammatory marker [R].
IL-33 promotes the maturation of Th2 cells and activation of some types of white blood cells (mast cells, basophils, eosinophils, and natural killer cells). It is also an alarmin, a type of signalling molecule that alerts the body to tissue damage. Finally, it regulates the expression of some other genes, including TRAF6 [R, R].
Variants in IL33 have been linked to [R, R, R, R]:
- Asthma
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Osteosarcoma survival rates
- Alzheimer’s disease