The function of the circulating innate lymphoid cells is dysregulated in patients with mild asthma

• Published in: The Journal of immunology (1950) 2019-05, Vol.202 (1_Supplement), p.119-119.27
• Main Authors: Drake, Li Y, Bachman, Kay, Kita, Hirohito
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0022-1767; 1550-6606
• DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.202.Supp.119.27

Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) play crucial roles in type 2 immunity in the lungs and in the development of asthma pathology. While ILC2s are residents in mucosal tissues, they also circulate in peripheral blood. Evidence suggests that blood ILC2s can be used as an indirect but useful biomarker to monitor the activity of ILC2s in mucosal tissues, such as the lungs. To investigate both the innate immune response and the corresponding ILC2 cell levels in the peripheral blood of asthma patients, we collected peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 11 adult patients with mild asthma (MA) and 12 adult healthy control (HC) subjects. The innate type 2 immune responses of PBMCs and the number of blood ILC2s were examined by in vitro culture and flow cytometry. We found that in response to IL-25 or IL-33 stimulation, PBMCs from MA subjects produced significant higher levels of IL-5 than PBMCs from HC subjects. However, there were no significant differences in ILC2 numbers or proportions between MA and HC groups. These results suggest that the function, but not the number, of blood ILC2s may serve as a general biomarker for human asthma.