Rhinovirus-induced gene expression patterns that distinguish between neutrophilic asthma and other asthma inflammatory phenotypes in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells

Objective: The aim of the current study was to use circulating immune cells to define gene expression patterns that best distinguish between different asthma phenotypes. We hypothesised that analysing gene expression patterns in unstimulated cells would be of limited value, and that variations in gene expression patterns would be most apparent in the setting of RV stimulation. Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells samples from adults with persistent asthma of different inflammatory subtypes were stimulated with RV in vitro with RNA sequencing and bioinformatics used to define gene expression patterns. Results: RV-induced changes in gene expression differed markedly between neutrophilic asthma (NA) and other asthma phenotypes. Expression of many anti-viral immune pathways and their regulators genes was down regulated in NA compared to the other phenotypes, accompanied by enhanced expression of chemokine genes, proinflammatory cytokines and Y chromosome linked genes. These changes were detected in circulating, bone marrow-derived immune cells and were most apparent in RV-stimulated rather than resting cells.