Blood CD62Llow inflammatory eosinophils are related to the severity of asthma and reduced by mepolizumab

Abstract

Background: Eosinophils have been divided into different subpopulations with distinct phenotypes based on CD62L expression. No data are available regarding the correlation between eosinophils subphenotypes and clinical severity of asthma, as well as the effect of anti-IL-5 therapy on these cells. The study investigates the correlation between blood CD62L^low inflammatory eosinophils (iEos) and clinical severity of severe eosinophilic asthma (SEA) and evaluates the impact of mepolizumab on iEos.

Methods: 112 patients were screened and were divided in two groups: biological-naive (n = 51) and biological-treated patients (n = 61). The Biological-naive patients were analyzed before treatment (Group A) and 19 out of 51 patients, were longitudinally analyzed before and after treatment with mepolizumab 100 mg s.c/4 weeks (Group B); 32 patients were excluded because they were being treated with other biological therapies. Blood eosinophils were analyzed by FACS and correlated with clinical scores. In vitro effect of IL-5 and mepolizumab on CD62L expression was assessed.

Results: A significant correlation between blood CD62L^low cells and clinical scores of asthma and nasal polyps, as well as the number of asthma exacerbations in the last year was shown in untreated patients. In longitudinally studied patients we observed a marked reduction of CD62L^low cells paralleled by an increase in the proportion of CD62L^bright cells, associated with clinical improvement of asthma control. In vitro, CD62L expression on eosinophils is modulated by IL-5 and anti-IL-5.

Conclusion: A positive correlation between CD62L^low iEos and the baseline clinical features of SEA with CRSwNP was shown. Furthermore mepolizumab restores the healthy balance among eosinophils sub-phenotypes in SEA patients.

Keywords: CD62L; IL-5; eosinophils; inflammatory eosinophils; mepolizumab; nasal polyps; severe asthma.