Experimental in vitro reprogramming of transformed phenotype of neutrophil granulocyte subpopulations in women with chronic recurrent infectious and inflammatory conditions of genital tract

Chronic inflammatory diseases of the pelvic organs (CIDPO) in women represent one of the urgent and insufficiently studied problems in gynecology across the world. These disorders are followed by adverse medical and socio-economic consequences, i.e., chronic local inflammatory process, chronic pelvic pain syndrome, ectopic pregnancy, infertility. Due to increasing chronicity and recurrence rates of genital infections and inflammatory diseases, there is a need for further studying the effector and regulatory mechanisms of immune system. Of special relevance are the studies of the receptor transformation in neutrophilic granulocytes (NG), the basic population of antimicrobial defense, with further substantiation of targeted immunomodulatory therapy. Purpose of the present study was to assess transformation of neutrophilic granulocytes from CD11b⁺CD64^-CD32⁺CD16⁺ to that CD11b⁺CD64⁺CD32⁺CD16⁺ phenotype in immunocompromised women with CIDPO exacerbation, as well as to evaluate the possibility of in vitro reprogramming the neutrophile phenotype under the action of recombinant interferon (recIFNα2b). Peripheral blood neutrophils were tested in the comparison group of 10 conditionally healthy women 20 to 40 years old, and in 17 women (20-40 years old) with the CIDPO exacerbation (group 1). The in vitro effect of recIFNa2b on the blood neutrophils was evaluated for 17 women with CIDPO (group 2). Flow cytometric technique (FCT, CYTOMICS FC500, Beckman Coulter, USA) was used to determine the number of NGs and cell receptor expression levels of neutrophilic CD11b⁺CD64^-CD32⁺CD16⁺NG and CD11b⁺CD64⁺CD32⁺CD16⁺ subpopulations. In peripheral blood of women with CIDPO exacerbation, an increased expression density of surface membrane molecules was revealed by means of FCT: in the subpopulation CD11b⁺CD64^-CD32⁺CD16⁺NG, CD16 proved to be 91.7% higher; in CD11b⁺CD64⁺CD32⁺CD16⁺NG subpopulation, CD16 was increased by 116%, and CD32 being higher by 81% against the comparison group. In the in vitro system, during the incubation of PB with recIFNα2b (group 2), we have revealed an increased number of CD11b⁺CD64^-CD32⁺CD16⁺ subpopulation relative to the comparison group and group 1, and significantly increased expression density of CD16 (by 212%); CD11b (by 56%), and CD32 (by 83%) than in comparison group, as well as higher density of CD16 expression by 163%; CD11b (by 223%) compared to group 1. The changes in expression density of membrane molecules was also detected by FCT for the activated subpopulation CD11b⁺CD64⁺CD32⁺CD16⁺NG, i.e., an increase in CD16 by 232% against control group, and decreased expression density of CD64 by 150% against the background, along with increased density of CD16 expression (by 54%), and CD11b (by 103%), relative to group 1, thus suggesting a reprogramming of negatively transformed NC phenotype. These findings may be considered a positive immunomodulatory effect providing a basis for further research in order to develop new integrated approaches to treatment of CIDPO of various etiologies.