Scientists at King's College and Imperial College, London, have also discovered a protein which increases appetite in cells closely associated with asthma, explaining why obese people are up to twice as likely to have asthma.
AFP quotes Jenny Versnel, Asthma UK's executive director of research and policy as saying, "This research is important because it could potentially help some people with asthma to gain more effective control of their condition."
The molecules produced by so-called Th2 immune system cells react to irritants like grass pollen, house dust mites and pet allergens thus causing inflammation in the lungs. They further produce proteins which contribute to the development of asthma.
The new study found that Th2 cells also produce a protein, encoded by the gene PMCH (pro-melanin-concentrating hormone), which is known to boost your appetite.
The report, which was published by the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, also added that it is not necessary that people with asthma are always obese.
Researchers now plan to look at possible genetic polymorphisms, or variations, of PMCH to see what roles they play in obesity. In the last 20 years, there has been a three-fold increase in the number of people with allergies in Britain. Britain also has one of the highest rates of asthma in Europe.
