ChitinChitin is a long-chain polymer of N-acetylglucosamine and is found in cell walls of fungi, exoskeletons of arthropods and insects, radullae of molluscs and in soft tissues of fish, squid and octopuses. High exposure to chitin has been linked to increased incidence of asthma. Mice treated with chitin develop an allergic response characterized by increased levels of IL-4. Subsequent treatment of the mice with chitinase abolished the allergic response.
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