Intracellular cytokine levels and HLA-DR expression by innate lymphoid cells in health and allergy

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DOI: 10.22138/2500-0918-2026-23-3-445-457

E.A. Pashkina, O.S. Boeva, V.S. Abbasova, A.A. Aktanova, D.V. Demina, L.V. Grishina, V.A. Kozlov

Research Institute of Fundamental and Clinical Immunology, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation

Abstract

The growing prevalence of allergic diseases, such as bronchial asthma and atopic dermatitis, represents a pressing issue in modern medicine. In the development of allergen sensitization in these diseases, polarization of the type 2 immune response is observed in most cases; type 2 T helper cells and the recently discovered type 2 innate lymphoid cells regulate this response. The aim of the study was to evaluate the intracellular cytokine content of ILCs and their expression of HLA-DR in blood mononuclear cell cultures, with and without stimulation, in patients with allergic diseases and in healthy controls. Mononuclear cells were cultured in complete RPMI-1640 medium in the presence of LPS or PMA/ionomycin. Cell cultures without added activators served as controls. Mononuclear cell phenotyping was performed by flow cytometry. Patients with allergic diseases were found to have an increased proportion of IFNγ+ ILC1 in the absence of stimulation, as well as an increased proportion of IL-5+ ILC2 upon stimulation with PMA/ionomycin, compared with the control group. Furthermore, patients with allergic pathology showed a higher density of HLA-DR expression on ILC3 upon stimulation with LPS. Such changes may influence the polarization of the immune response to an antigen and alter the interaction between ILCs and T cells in patients with allergic pathology compared with healthy controls.

Keywords: cytokines, innate lymphoid cells, antigen presentation, allergy, asthma

There is no conflict of interest.

Contact information of the author responsible for correspondence

Ekaterina A. Pashkina
pashkina.e.a@yandex.ru
Received: 30.06.2026

For citation

Pashkina E.A., Boeva O.S., Abbasova V.S., Aktanova A.A., Demina D.V., Grishina L.V., Kozlov V.A. Intracellular cytokine levels and HLA-DR expression by innate lymphoid cells in health and allergy. Vestn. Ural. Med. Akad. Nauki. = Journal of Ural Medical Academic Science. 2026, Vol. 23, no. 3, pp. 445-457. DOI: 10.22138/2500-0918-2026-23-3-445-457 (In Russ)

Funding

This work was supported by the Russian Science Foundation under RSF Project No. 24-15-00409.

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Authors

Ekaterina A. Pashkina
Cand. Sci. (Biol.), Head of Laboratory
pashkina.e.a@yandex.ru

Olga S. Boeva
Postgraduate Student, Research Lab Assistant
starchenkova97@gmail.com

Veronika S. Abbasova
Resident, Research Lab Assistant
abbasovaveronik@gmail.com

Alina A. Aktanova
Researcher
aktanova_al@mail.ru

Daria V. Demina
Cand. Sci. (Med.), Head of the Allergology Department, Immunopathology Clinic
immunology@mail.ru

Lyubov V. Grishina
Cand. Sci. (Biol.), Researcher
1_grishina@bk.ru

Vladimir A. Kozlov
Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Professor, Dr. Sci. (Med.), Scientific Director of the Institute
vakoz40@yandex.ru

Research Institute of Fundamental and Clinical Immunology (RIFCI)
Novosibirsk, Russian Federation

 
 
 
 

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