▁ant agon ist ▁of ▁the ▁inter le uk in - 4 ▁re ceptor ▁alpha ▁chain , ▁a ▁protein ▁that ▁is ▁also ▁part ▁of ▁IL - 1 3 . ▁It ▁thereby ▁blocks ▁the ▁infl am mat ory ▁effects ▁of ▁IL - 4 ▁and ▁IL - 1 3 , ▁interrupt ing ▁the ▁Th 2 ▁l ym ph ocy te ▁imm une ▁response . ▁ ▁Pit rak in ra ▁protect s ▁all erg ic ▁c yn om olg us ▁mon keys ▁from ▁aller gen - indu ced ▁air ways ▁hyper - respons iveness ▁and ▁lung ▁e os in oph ilia ▁in ▁both ▁pro phy la ctic ▁and ▁th era pe ut ic ▁model ▁settings . ▁Sub cut aneous ▁injection ▁of ▁pit rak in ra ▁in ▁human ▁patients ▁with ▁severe ▁at op ic ▁e cz ema ▁for ▁ 4 ▁weeks ▁or ▁more ▁decre ases ▁the ▁e cz ema ▁clin ical ▁score ▁and ▁circul ating ▁Ig E ▁concentr ations , ▁and ▁normal ized ▁T - cell ▁subsets . ▁Dec re ases ▁in ▁For ced ▁Exp ir atory ▁Volume ▁in ▁ 1 ▁s ▁( FE V 1 ) ▁after ▁aller gen ▁challenge ▁after ▁ 4 ▁weeks ▁of ▁in hal ation ▁of ▁pit rak in ra ▁supports ▁the ▁hypothesis ▁that ▁dual ▁in hib ition ▁of ▁IL - 4 ▁and ▁IL - 1 3 ▁can ▁affect ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁the ▁late ▁ast hm atic ▁response ▁after ▁experimental ▁aller gen ▁challenge . ▁The ▁reduced ▁frequency ▁of ▁sp ont aneous ▁ast h ma ▁attacks ▁requiring ▁rescue ▁medic ation ▁use ▁suggests ▁that ▁the ▁use