Enhanced circulating ILC2s accompany by upregulated MDSCs in patients with asthma

Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) are considered to be the most significant mediators during the orchestration of immune responses in asthma. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) has received a great deal of attention for their immunosuppressive activity, and our early studies indicate that the increased Th2 cytokines are associated with MDSCs. In this study, we sought to determine whether MDSCs are also participation in immune imbalance and its relationship with ILC2s in asthma. The data showed that the circulatory ILC2s or MDSCs and their characteristic cytokines or transcription factors were significantly enhanced in asthmatic patients, as well as in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or respiratory viral infections (RVI). Meanwhile, a Th2-dominated phenotype was found in patients with asthma which closely related to the expression levels of ILC2s and MDSCs associated moleculars. These findings indicated that Th2 polarization was close related to synergistically increased ILC2s and MDSCs, it may allow to further the comprehension of the contribution of these cells to the inflammatory response involved in asthma or other respiratory tract inflammatory diseases, such as COPD and RVI, as well as to develop novel therapeutic strategies.