Innate lymphoid cells and cytokines of the novel subtypes of helper T cells in asthma.
BACKGROUND
In this study, the expression of interleukin-9 (IL-9), IL-17, IL-22, and IL-25 genes that might be the potential predisposing factors for asthma as well as count of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) as another source of inflammatory cytokines have been evaluated.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of newly identified helper T cells signature cytokines and amount of ILCs.


METHODS
Blood and sputum samples from 23 patients with moderate to severe asthma and 23 healthy volunteers were collected. The types of allergens to which our patients were sensitive were defined using immunoblotting method. Gene expression of studied cytokines was evaluated using quantitative transcription-polymerase chain reaction and ILCs were counted by the flow cytometry method.


RESULTS
In this research, the gene expressions of IL-9, IL-17, IL-22, and IL-25 were significantly higher in asthmatics, especially in the severe form of the disease. This increase was even higher in serum samples compared with sputum samples. Counting ILCs revealed their increase in comparison with normal people.


CONCLUSIONS
We showed the importance of IL-25, IL-22, IL-17, and IL-9 cytokines in patients with asthma as their expression levels are increased and these increase are correlated with the severity of the disease. We also showed that the increased amount of ILCs in asthmatics could confirm their potential role in the immunopathogenesis of asthma as another source of inflammatory cytokines.
Acquired Immunodeficiency Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan 81746-73461, Iran.
Roya
R
Sherkat
Immunology Department, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan 81746-73461, Iran.
Reza
R
Yazdani
Cellular and Molecular Immunology Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan 81746-73461, Iran.
Mazdak
M
Ganjalikhani Hakemi
Immunology Department, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan 81746-73461, Iran.
Vida
V
Homayouni
Immunology Department, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan 81746-73461, Iran.
Rahim
R
Farahani
Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan 81746-73461, Iran.
Mohsen
M
Hosseini
Cellular and Molecular Immunology Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan 81746-73461, Iran.
Abbas
A
Rezaei
Asthma; Innate lymphoid cell; Inteleukin-17; Inteleukin-22; Inteleukin-25; Inteleukin-9