Innate lymphoid cell disturbance with increase in ILC1 in systemic lupus erythematosus

• Published in: Clinical immunology (Orlando, Fla.) Vol. 202; pp. 49 - 58
• Main Authors: Guo, Chaohuan, Zhou, Mianjing, Zhao, Siyuan, Huang, Yuefang, Wang, Shuang, Fu, Rong, Li, Mengyuan, Zhang, Tengyue, Gaskin, Felicia, Yang, Niansheng, Fu, Shu Man
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.05.2019
• Subjects: Adult; Cytokines - immunology; Female; Humans; IFN-γ; Immunity, Innate; Innate lymphoid cell; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic - immunology; Lymphocytes - immunology; Male; Systemic lupus erythematosus; Type 1 immune response; Young Adult; IFN-γ; Systemic lupus erythematosus; Type 1 immune response; Innate lymphoid cell
• ISSN: 1521-6616; 1521-7035; 1521-7035
• DOI: 10.1016/j.clim.2019.03.008

The innate lymphoid cell (ILC) is a group of effector cells with diverse important cellular functions in both health and disease states. In comparison with healthy controls, there were increases in circulating ILC in SLE patients. The proportion of ILC1 significantly increased with significant decreases of ILC2 in SLE patients and ILC3 in SLE patients with moderate to severe activity. IL-12, IL-18, IL-25, IL-33, IL-23, IL-1β and IFN-γ were significantly increased in SLE patients. Moreover, IL-12, IL-18 and IL-1β but not IFN-γ correlated significantly with SLEDAI. Successful treatments rapidly reduced them and with certain normalization of the ILC subsets. In addition to increases in ILC1 numbers, ~ 80% of the ILC1 in SLE patients were positive for synthesis of IFN-γ. Plasma from SLE patients were shown to be potent in inducing ILC1. Thus, increased circulating ILC1 might contribute to the pathogenesis of SLE through mounting type 1 immune response. •Frequencies of ILCs were increased in SLE and majority of increased ILC subsets were ILC1.•Levels of IL-12 and IL-18 were increased and positively correlated with ILC1 in SLE.•Circulating ILC1 might contribute to the pathogenesis of SLE through mounting type 1 immune response.