Analysis of Sexual Bias in Type 2 Innate Lymphoid Cells (ILC2) in Asthmatic Patients

Asthma Clinical Trial

— IL-C2  

Official title:

Analysis of Sexual Bias in Type 2 Innate Lymphoid Cells (ILC2) in Asthmatic Patients: Role of Androgens

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT04384835
• Other study ID #: RC31/20/0007
• Status: Completed
• Start date: March 8, 2021
• Est. completion date: April 12, 2023

Study information

• Verified date: May 2023
• Source: University Hospital, Toulouse
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Observational

Clinical Trial Summary

Asthma is more common in females than in males but the difference has not been explained yet. Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2) have recently emerged as critical players in the initiation of allergic responses but their implications in the difference between males and females in terms of asthma prevalence has not been fully studied. The aim of this project is to compare the proportion of ILC2 in blood between males and females with asthma.

Description:

Asthma is more common in males until puberty but becomes more prevalent and more severe in females after puberty suggesting a protective action of male sex hormones. ILC2 have recently emerged as critical players in the initiation of allergic responses. The present team established that androgens, signaling through the nuclear receptor 3 C4 (NR3C4) androgen receptor (AR), negatively control ILC2 at steady state and during lung inflammation. Relevant to this application, females with asthma have more circulating ILC2 than males. The present hypothesis is that harnessing AR signaling in ILC2 may provide a new therapeutic approach to down regulate tissue resident ILC2. This project will analyze the sex bias in circulating ILC2 in female and male patients with moderate to severe asthma. In females with asthma, the team will purify circulating ILC2 from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and expand them in vitro using cytokines and stromal cells in the presence of AR antagonist or agonist ligands. Bulk ILC2 cultures at day 7 will used to measure the expression profile of various gene, including AR.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 34
• Est. completion date: April 12, 2023
• Est. primary completion date: May 1, 2022
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years to 45 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Asthma according to the criteria described by Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guidelines

• Severe asthma according to the criteria described by the American Thoracic Society (ATS) / European Respiratory Society (ERS) guidelines (for the recruitment of severe patients)

• Mild to moderate asthma based on low or medium dose of inhaled steroids according to GINA guidelines

Exclusion Criteria:

• Asthma exacerbations defined as oral corticosteroids related to worsening respiratory symptoms within the past 4 weeks

• Pregnant women

• Breastfeeding women

• Autoimmune diseases

• Androgen medication

• Early menopause defined as the absence of menstruation for at least 1 year

• Body mass index = 30 kg/m²

• Weight <40 kg

• Oral corticotherapy for more than 3 months

• Prediction of blood volume collected (care + research)> 80 ml or> 150 ml over a period of 30 days if blood collection within the past 30 days

• known anemia with hemoglobin <10 g/dl

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Asthma

Intervention

Biological:
• Blood sample collection (one tube)
Collection of one tube of 7.5 ml blood in addition to a blood sample made in clinical practice
• Blood sample collection (five tubes)
Collection of five tubes of 7.5 ml blood in addition to a blood sample made in clinical practice

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
France	Larrey hospital	Toulouse

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University Hospital, Toulouse

Country where clinical trial is conducted

France, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Frequency of circulating ILC2 between gender with asthma.	Estimation of the proportion of circulating ILC2 between males and females with asthma.	Day 1
Secondary	Frequency of circulating ILC2 according to asthma severity.	Estimation of the proportion of circulating ILC2 between mild to moderate asthma patients and severe asthma patients.	Day 1
Secondary	Comparison of the effect of (androgenic receptor) AR ligands in a culture of ILC2.	ILC2 purified form PBMC of asthmatic females will be expanded in vitro in the presence of AR antagonist or agonist ligands. Bulk ILC2 cultures at day 7 will used to measure the expression profile of various gene, including AR.	Day 1