ILC2 frequency and activity are inhibited by glucocorticoid treatment via STAT pathway in patients with asthma

Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) were closely associated with asthma. However, there were no perspective studies about the effects of glucocorticoid on ILC2s in asthma patients. Our objective was to perform a perspective study and evaluate the ILC2 activity after glucocorticoid therapy in asthma patients.

The asthma and asthma with allergic rhinitis patients were treated with glucocorticoid for 3 months. The circulating ILC2 levels were evaluated. The effects of glucocorticoid on ILC2s and possible signalling pathways were investigated in vitro.

The patients were well-controlled, and the high ILC2 levels were significantly decreased at 1 and 3 months after treatment. Peripheral blood monocytes from allergic patients produced dramatic IL-5, IL-13 and IL-9 in response to IL-25, IL-33 plus IL-2, and glucocorticoid significantly decreased their levels. Moreover, ILC2s were identified to be the predominant source of IL-5, IL-13 and IL-9, and glucocorticoid treatment was able to reverse their high levels. STAT3, STAT5, STAT6, JAK3 and MEK signalling pathways were proved to be involved in regulating ILC2 activity under the glucocorticoid treatment.

The data suggested that glucocorticoid administration could be effective in treating asthma by regulating ILC2s via MEK/JAK-STAT signalling pathways. This provides a new understanding of glucocorticoid application in regard to allergic diseases.