LSC Abstract – Peripheral blood myeloid-derived suppressor cells reflect disease status in IPF

Abstract

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a fibrotic disease with irreversible loss of lung function. Aberrant immunity contributes to IPF pathogenesis. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC), are associated with poor prognosis in cancer, facilitating immune cell evasion. Their abundance in IPF is unknown. We included 170 patients (IPF: 69, non-IPF ILD: 56, COPD: 23, and healthy controls: 22). FACS was used to quantify blood MDSC and lymphocyte subtypes. Tissue detection was performed by immunofluorescence. We detected increased circulating MDSC in IPF compared to controls (30.9±15.6 vs 18.9±8.1%, p= This study demonstrates and quantifies, for the first time, an increase of MDSC in IPF. MDSC correlate with Treg in IPF, suggesting that MDSC cause a blunted immune response. MDSC inversely correlate with lung function, as such MDSC serve as potent biomarker for progression. Altogether, these data reveal that MDSC are part of an immune-deregulated environment and reflect disease status in IPF. Controlling the expansion and accumulation of MDSC, or blocking their T cell suppressive function, represents a promising novel approach in IPF.