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Ahmed G, Abdelgadir Y, Abdelghani A, Simpson P, Barbeau J, Basel D, Barrios CS, Smith BA, Schilter KF, Udani R, Reddi HV, Willoughby RE. Reduction in ACE2 expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells during COVID-19 - implications for post COVID-19 conditions. BMC Infect Dis 2024; 24:663. [PMID: 38956476 PMCID: PMC11221185 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-024-09321-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Severe COVID-19 is uncommon, restricted to 19% of the total population. In response to the first virus wave (alpha variant of SARS-CoV-2), we investigated whether a biomarker indicated severity of disease and, in particular, if variable expression of angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) in blood might clarify this difference in risk and of post COVID -19 conditions (PCC). METHODS The IRB-approved study compared patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19 to healthy controls. Severe infection was defined requiring oxygen or increased oxygen need from baseline at admission with positive COVID-19 PCR. A single blood sample was obtained from patients within a day of admission. ACE2 RNA expression in blood cells was measured by an RT-PCR assay. Plasma ACE1 and ACE2 enzyme activities were quantified by fluorescent peptides. Plasma TIMP-1, PIIINP and MMP-9 antigens were quantified by ELISA. Data were entered into REDCap and analyzed using STATA v 14 and GraphPad Prism v 10. RESULTS Forty-eight patients and 72 healthy controls were recruited during the pandemic. ACE2 RNA expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was rarely detected acutely during severe COVID-19 but common in controls (OR for undetected ACE2: 12.4 [95% CI: 2.62-76.1]). ACE2 RNA expression in PBMC did not determine plasma ACE1 and ACE2 activity, suggesting alternative cell-signaling pathways. Markers of fibrosis (TIMP-1 and PIIINP) and vasculopathy (MMP-9) were additionally elevated. ACE2 RNA expression during severe COVID-19 often responded within hours to convalescent plasma. Analogous to oncogenesis, we speculate that potent, persistent, cryptic processes following COVID-19 (the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), fibrosis and vasculopathy) initiate or promote post-COVID-19 conditions (PCC) in susceptible individuals. CONCLUSIONS This work elucidates biological and temporal plausibility for ACE2, TIMP1, PIIINP and MMP-9 in the pathogenesis of PCC. Intersection of these independent systems is uncommon and may in part explain the rarity of PCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gulrayz Ahmed
- Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | | | | | - Pippa Simpson
- Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Jody Barbeau
- Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Donald Basel
- Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | | | | | | | - Rupa Udani
- Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Honey V Reddi
- Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Rodney E Willoughby
- Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases, C450, Medical College of Wisconsin, PO Box 1997, Milwaukee, WI 53201-1997, USA.
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2
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Toya S, Struyf S, Huerta L, Morris P, Gavioli E, Minnella EM, Cesta MC, Allegretti M, Proost P. A narrative review of chemokine receptors CXCR1 and CXCR2 and their role in acute respiratory distress syndrome. Eur Respir Rev 2024; 33:230172. [PMID: 39048127 PMCID: PMC11267298 DOI: 10.1183/16000617.0172-2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a severe form of acute respiratory failure characterised by extensive inflammatory injury to the alveolocapillary barrier leading to alveolar oedema, impaired gas exchange and, ultimately, hypoxaemia necessitating the use of supplemental oxygen combined with some degree of positive airway pressure. Although much heterogeneity exists regarding the aetiology, localisation and endotypic characterisation of ARDS, what remains largely undisputed is the role of the innate immune system, and in particular of neutrophils, in precipitating and propagating lung injury. Activated neutrophils, recruited to the lung through chemokine gradients, promote injury by releasing oxidants, proteases and neutrophil extracellular traps, which ultimately cause platelet aggregation, microvascular thrombosis and cellular death. Among various neutrophilic chemoattractants, interleukin-8/C-X-C motif ligand 8 and related chemokines, collectively called ELR+ chemokines, acting on neutrophils through the G protein-coupled receptors CXCR1 and CXCR2, are pivotal in orchestrating the neutrophil activation status and chemotaxis in the inflamed lung. This allows efficient elimination of infectious agents while at the same time minimising collateral damage to host tissue. Therefore, understanding how CXCR1 and CXCR2 receptors are regulated is important if we hope to effectively target them for therapeutic use in ARDS. In the following narrative review, we provide an overview of the role of ELR+ chemokines in acute lung injury (ALI) and ARDS, we summarise the relevant regulatory pathways of their cognisant receptors CXCR1/2 and highlight current preclinical and clinical evidence on the therapeutic role of CXCR1 and CXCR2 inhibition in animal models of ALI, as well as in ARDS patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sofie Struyf
- KU Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Luis Huerta
- Keck School of Medicine of USC, Department of Medicine, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Peter Morris
- The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Medicine, Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Paul Proost
- KU Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Leuven, Belgium
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3
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Gutierrez-Chavez C, Aperrigue-Lira S, Ortiz-Saavedra B, Paz I. Chemokine receptors in COVID-19 infection. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 388:53-94. [PMID: 39260938 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ircmb.2024.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/13/2024]
Abstract
Chemokine receptors play diverse roles in the immune response against pathogens by recruiting innate and adaptive immune cells to sites of infection. However, their involvement could also be detrimental, causing tissue damage and exacerbating respiratory diseases by triggering histological alterations such as fibrosis and remodeling. This chapter reviews the role of chemokine receptors in the immune defense against SARS-CoV-2 infection. In COVID-19, CXCR3 is expressed mainly in T cells, and its upregulation is related to an increase in SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies but also to COVID-19 severity. CCR5 is a key player in T-cell recruitment, and its suppression leads to reduced inflammation and viremia levels. Conversely, CXCR6 is implicated in the aberrant migration of memory T cells within airways. On the other hand, increased CCR4+ cells in the blood and decreased CCR4+ cells in lung cells are associated with severe COVID-19. Additionally, CCR2 is associated with an increase in macrophage recruitment to lung tissues. Elevated levels of CXCR1 and CXCR2, which are predominantly expressed in neutrophils, are associated with the severity of the disease, and finally, the expression of CX3CR1 in cytotoxic T lymphocytes affects the retention of these cells in lung tissues, thereby impacting the severity of COVID-19. Despite the efforts of many clinical trials to find effective therapies for COVID-19 using chemokine receptor inhibitors, no conclusive results have been found due to the small number of patients, redundancy, and co-expression of chemokine receptors by immune cells, which explains the difficulty in finding a single therapeutic target or effective treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shalom Aperrigue-Lira
- Universidad Nacional de San Agustín de Arequipa, Arequipa, Peru; Grupo de Investigación en Inmunología-GII, UNSA, Arequipa, Peru
| | - Brando Ortiz-Saavedra
- Universidad Nacional de San Agustín de Arequipa, Arequipa, Peru; Grupo de Investigación en Inmunología-GII, UNSA, Arequipa, Peru
| | - Irmia Paz
- Universidad Nacional de San Agustín de Arequipa, Arequipa, Peru.
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4
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Hafkamp FMJ, Taanman-Kueter EWM, van Capel TMM, Wynberg E, van Willigen HDG, Verveen A, Kootstra NA, Nieuwkerk P, de Jong MD, de Bree GJ, Prins M, Hazenberg MD, Groot Kormelink T, de Jong EC. Aberrant neutrophil degranulation in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 partially remains for 6 months. Eur J Immunol 2024; 54:e2350404. [PMID: 37853954 DOI: 10.1002/eji.202350404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Neutrophils are important players in COVID-19, contributing to tissue damage by release of inflammatory mediators, including ROS and neutrophil elastase. Longitudinal studies on the effects of COVID-19 on neutrophil phenotype and function are scarce. Here, we longitudinally investigated the phenotype and degranulation of neutrophils in COVID-19 patients (28 nonhospitalized and 35 hospitalized patients) compared with 17 healthy donors (HDs). We assessed phenotype, degranulation, CXCL8 (IL-8) release, and ROS generation within 8 days, at one or 6 month(s) after COVID-19 diagnosis. For degranulation and ROS production, we stimulated neutrophils, either with ssRNA and TNF or granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and N-Formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine. During active COVID-19, neutrophils from hospitalized patients were more immature than from HDs and were impaired in degranulation and ROS generation, while neutrophils from nonhospitalized patients only demonstrated reduced CD66b+ granule release and ROS production. Baseline CD63 expression, indicative of primary granule release, and CXCL8 production by neutrophils from hospitalized patients were elevated for up to 6 months. These findings show that patients hospitalized due to COVID-19, but not nonhospitalized patients, demonstrated an aberrant neutrophil phenotype, degranulation, CXCL8 release, and ROS generation that partially persists up to 6 months after infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florianne M J Hafkamp
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Esther W M Taanman-Kueter
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Toni M M van Capel
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Elke Wynberg
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Public Health Service of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Hugo D G van Willigen
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Infection Prevention, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Anouk Verveen
- Department of Medical Psychology, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Neeltje A Kootstra
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Pythia Nieuwkerk
- Department of Medical Psychology, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Menno D de Jong
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Infection Prevention, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Godelieve J de Bree
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Maria Prins
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Public Health Service of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Mette D Hazenberg
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Hematology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Hematopoiesis, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Tom Groot Kormelink
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Esther C de Jong
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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5
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Metzemaekers M, Malengier-Devlies B, Gouwy M, De Somer L, Cunha FDQ, Opdenakker G, Proost P. Fast and furious: The neutrophil and its armamentarium in health and disease. Med Res Rev 2023; 43:1537-1606. [PMID: 37036061 DOI: 10.1002/med.21958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023]
Abstract
Neutrophils are powerful effector cells leading the first wave of acute host-protective responses. These innate leukocytes are endowed with oxidative and nonoxidative defence mechanisms, and play well-established roles in fighting invading pathogens. With microbicidal weaponry largely devoid of specificity and an all-too-well recognized toxicity potential, collateral damage may occur in neutrophil-rich diseases. However, emerging evidence suggests that neutrophils are more versatile, heterogeneous, and sophisticated cells than initially thought. At the crossroads of innate and adaptive immunity, neutrophils demonstrate their multifaceted functions in infectious and noninfectious pathologies including cancer, autoinflammation, and autoimmune diseases. Here, we discuss the kinetics of neutrophils and their products of activation from bench to bedside during health and disease, and provide an overview of the versatile functions of neutrophils as key modulators of immune responses and physiological processes. We focus specifically on those activities and concepts that have been validated with primary human cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mieke Metzemaekers
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bert Malengier-Devlies
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Mieke Gouwy
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lien De Somer
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Division of Pediatric Rheumatology, University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- European Reference Network for Rare Immunodeficiency, Autoinflammatory and Autoimmune Diseases (RITA) at the University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Ghislain Opdenakker
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Paul Proost
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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6
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Oh T, Kim G, Baek SH, Woo Y, Koo BS, Hwang EH, Shim K, An YJ, Kim Y, Won J, Lee Y, Lim KS, Park JH, Hong JJ. Spatial transcriptome atlas reveals pulmonary microstructure-specific COVID-19 gene signatures in cynomolgus macaques. Commun Biol 2023; 6:879. [PMID: 37640792 PMCID: PMC10462721 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05253-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Characterizing the host response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) at the molecular level is necessary to understand viral pathogenesis and identify clinically relevant biomarkers. However, in humans, the pulmonary host response during disease onset remains poorly understood. Herein, we utilized a spatial transcriptome atlas to identify pulmonary microstructure-specific COVID-19 gene signatures during the acute phase of lung infection in cynomolgus macaques. The innate immune response to virus-induced cell death was primarily active in the alveolar regions involving activated macrophage infiltration. Inflamed vascular regions exhibited prominent upregulation of interferon and complement pathway genes that mediate antiviral activity and tissue damage response. Furthermore, known biomarker genes were significantly expressed in specific microstructures, and some of them were universally expressed across all microstructures. These findings underscore the importance of identifying key drivers of disease progression and clinically applicable biomarkers by focusing on pulmonary microstructures appearing during SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taehwan Oh
- National Primate Research Centre, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - Green Kim
- National Primate Research Centre, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Ho Baek
- National Primate Research Centre, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - YoungMin Woo
- National Primate Research Centre, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk, Republic of Korea
- KRIBB School of Bioscience, Korea University of Science & Technology (UST), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Bon-Sang Koo
- National Primate Research Centre, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun-Ha Hwang
- National Primate Research Centre, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyuyoung Shim
- National Primate Research Centre, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk, Republic of Korea
- KRIBB School of Bioscience, Korea University of Science & Technology (UST), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - You Jung An
- National Primate Research Centre, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - Yujin Kim
- National Primate Research Centre, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinyoung Won
- National Primate Research Centre, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - Youngjeon Lee
- National Primate Research Centre, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung Seob Lim
- Futuristic Animal Resource and Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Hak Park
- Department of Laboratory Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Joo Hong
- National Primate Research Centre, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk, Republic of Korea.
- KRIBB School of Bioscience, Korea University of Science & Technology (UST), Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
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7
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Cambier S, Beretta F, Pörtner N, Metzemaekers M, de Carvalho AC, Martens E, Kaes J, Aelbrecht C, Jacobs C, Van Mol P, Wauters E, Meersseman P, Hermans G, Marques RE, Vanaudenaerde B, Vos R, Wauters J, Gouwy M, Proost P. Proteolytic inactivation of CXCL12 in the lungs and circulation of COVID-19 patients. Cell Mol Life Sci 2023; 80:234. [PMID: 37505242 PMCID: PMC11073220 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-04870-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
The human chemokine stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) or CXCL12 is involved in several homeostatic processes and pathologies through interaction with its cognate G protein-coupled receptor CXCR4. Recent research has shown that CXCL12 is present in the lungs and circulation of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, the question whether the detected CXCL12 is bioactive was not addressed. Indeed, the activity of CXCL12 is regulated by NH2- and COOH-terminal post-translational proteolysis, which significantly impairs its biological activity. The aim of the present study was to characterize proteolytic processing of CXCL12 in broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and blood plasma samples from critically ill COVID-19 patients. Therefore, we optimized immunosorbent tandem mass spectrometry proteoform analysis (ISTAMPA) for detection of CXCL12 proteoforms. In patient samples, this approach uncovered that CXCL12 is rapidly processed by site-specific NH2- and COOH-terminal proteolysis and ultimately degraded. This proteolytic inactivation occurred more rapidly in COVID-19 plasma than in COVID-19 BAL fluids, whereas BAL fluid samples from stable lung transplantation patients and the non-affected lung of lung cancer patients (control groups) hardly induced any processing of CXCL12. In COVID-19 BAL fluids with high proteolytic activity, processing occurred exclusively NH2-terminally and was predominantly mediated by neutrophil elastase. In low proteolytic activity BAL fluid and plasma samples, NH2- and COOH-terminal proteolysis by CD26 and carboxypeptidases were observed. Finally, protease inhibitors already approved for clinical use such as sitagliptin and sivelestat prevented CXCL12 processing and may therefore be of pharmacological interest to prolong CXCL12 half-life and biological activity in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seppe Cambier
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, Rega - Herestraat 49, Box 1042, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Fabio Beretta
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, Rega - Herestraat 49, Box 1042, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Noëmie Pörtner
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, Rega - Herestraat 49, Box 1042, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Mieke Metzemaekers
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, Rega - Herestraat 49, Box 1042, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ana Carolina de Carvalho
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, Rega - Herestraat 49, Box 1042, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Campinas, Brazil
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Erik Martens
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Janne Kaes
- Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases and Thoracic Surgery (BREATHE), Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Celine Aelbrecht
- Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases and Thoracic Surgery (BREATHE), Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Cato Jacobs
- Medical Intensive Care Unit, Department of General Internal Medicine, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Pierre Van Mol
- Laboratory of Translational Genetics, Department of Human Genetics, VIB-KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Els Wauters
- Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases and Thoracic Surgery (BREATHE), Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Respiratory Diseases, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Philippe Meersseman
- Medical Intensive Care Unit, Department of General Internal Medicine, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Greet Hermans
- Medical Intensive Care Unit, Department of General Internal Medicine, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Intensive Care Medicine, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Rafael Elias Marques
- Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Bart Vanaudenaerde
- Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases and Thoracic Surgery (BREATHE), Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Robin Vos
- Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases and Thoracic Surgery (BREATHE), Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Respiratory Diseases, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Joost Wauters
- Medical Intensive Care Unit, Department of General Internal Medicine, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory for Clinical Infectious and Inflammatory Disorders, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Mieke Gouwy
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, Rega - Herestraat 49, Box 1042, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Paul Proost
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, Rega - Herestraat 49, Box 1042, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
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8
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Zingaropoli MA, Latronico T, Pasculli P, Masci GM, Merz R, Ciccone F, Dominelli F, Del Borgo C, Lichtner M, Iafrate F, Galardo G, Pugliese F, Panebianco V, Ricci P, Catalano C, Ciardi MR, Liuzzi GM, Mastroianni CM. Tissue Inhibitor of Matrix Metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) and Pulmonary Involvement in COVID-19 Pneumonia. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1040. [PMID: 37509076 PMCID: PMC10377146 DOI: 10.3390/biom13071040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: The aim of the study was to longitudinally evaluate the association between MMP-2, MMP-9, TIMP-1 and chest radiological findings in COVID-19 patients. Methods: COVID-19 patients were evaluated based on their hospital admission (baseline) and three months after hospital discharge (T post) and were stratified into ARDS and non-ARDS groups. As a control group, healthy donors (HD) were enrolled. Results: At the baseline, compared to HD (n = 53), COVID-19 patients (n = 129) showed higher plasma levels of MMP-9 (p < 0.0001) and TIMP-1 (p < 0.0001) and the higher plasma activity of MMP-2 (p < 0.0001) and MMP-9 (p < 0.0001). In the ARDS group, higher plasma levels of MMP-9 (p = 0.0339) and TIMP-1 (p = 0.0044) and the plasma activity of MMP-2 (p = 0.0258) and MMP-9 (p = 0.0021) compared to non-ARDS was observed. A positive correlation between the plasma levels of TIMP-1 and chest computed tomography (CT) score (ρ = 0.2302, p = 0.0160) was observed. At the T post, a reduction in plasma levels of TIMP-1 (p < 0.0001), whereas an increase in the plasma levels of MMP-9 was observed (p = 0.0088). Conclusions: The positive correlation between TIMP-1 with chest CT scores highlights its potential use as a marker of fibrotic burden. At T post, the increase in plasma levels of MMP-9 and the reduction in plasma levels of TIMP-1 suggested that inflammation and fibrosis resolution were still ongoing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Antonella Zingaropoli
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Tiziana Latronico
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Environment, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", 70121 Bari, Italy
| | - Patrizia Pasculli
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Giorgio Maria Masci
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Roberta Merz
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Ciccone
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Dominelli
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Cosmo Del Borgo
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Santa Maria Goretti Hospital, Sapienza, University of Rome, 04100 Latina, Italy
| | - Miriam Lichtner
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Santa Maria Goretti Hospital, Sapienza, University of Rome, 04100 Latina, Italy
- Department of Neurosciences Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Franco Iafrate
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Gioacchino Galardo
- Medical Emergency Unit, Sapienza University of Rome, Policlinico Umberto I, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Pugliese
- Department of Specialist Surgery and Organ Transplantation "Paride Stefanini", Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Valeria Panebianco
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Ricci
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
- Unit of Emergency Radiology, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Catalano
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Rosa Ciardi
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Grazia Maria Liuzzi
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Environment, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", 70121 Bari, Italy
| | - Claudio Maria Mastroianni
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
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9
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Salomão R, Assis V, de Sousa Neto IV, Petriz B, Babault N, Durigan JLQ, de Cássia Marqueti R. Involvement of Matrix Metalloproteinases in COVID-19: Molecular Targets, Mechanisms, and Insights for Therapeutic Interventions. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:843. [PMID: 37372128 PMCID: PMC10295079 DOI: 10.3390/biology12060843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
MMPs are enzymes involved in SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis. Notably, the proteolytic activation of MMPs can occur through angiotensin II, immune cells, cytokines, and pro-oxidant agents. However, comprehensive information regarding the impact of MMPs in the different physiological systems with disease progression is not fully understood. In the current study, we review the recent biological advances in understanding the function of MMPs and examine time-course changes in MMPs during COVID-19. In addition, we explore the interplay between pre-existing comorbidities, disease severity, and MMPs. The reviewed studies showed increases in different MMP classes in the cerebrospinal fluid, lung, myocardium, peripheral blood cells, serum, and plasma in patients with COVID-19 compared to non-infected individuals. Individuals with arthritis, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, autoimmune diseases, and cancer had higher MMP levels when infected. Furthermore, this up-regulation may be associated with disease severity and the hospitalization period. Clarifying the molecular pathways and specific mechanisms that mediate MMP activity is important in developing optimized interventions to improve health and clinical outcomes during COVID-19. Furthermore, better knowledge of MMPs will likely provide possible pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions. This relevant topic might add new concepts and implications for public health in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Salomão
- Laboratory of Molecular Analysis, Postgraduate Program in Health and Sciences and Technology, Faculty of Ceilândia, University of Brasilia, Brasilia 72220-275, DF, Brazil
| | - Victoria Assis
- Laboratory of Molecular Analysis, Postgraduate Program in Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Ceilândia, University of Brasilia, Brasilia 72220-275, DF, Brazil; (V.A.); (J.L.Q.D.)
| | - Ivo Vieira de Sousa Neto
- School of Physical Education and Sport of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-907, SP, Brazil;
| | - Bernardo Petriz
- Graduate Program in Genomic Sciences and Biotechnology, Catholic University of Brasilia, Brasilia 71966-700, DF, Brazil;
- Laboratory of Exercise Molecular Physiology, University Center UDF, Brasília 71966-900, DF, Brazil
| | - Nicolas Babault
- INSERM UMR1093-CAPS, UFR des Sciences du Sport, Université de Bourgogne, F-21000 Dijon, France;
- Centre d’Expertise de la Performance, UFR des Sciences du Sport, Université de Bourgogne, F-21000 Dijon, France
| | - João Luiz Quaglioti Durigan
- Laboratory of Molecular Analysis, Postgraduate Program in Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Ceilândia, University of Brasilia, Brasilia 72220-275, DF, Brazil; (V.A.); (J.L.Q.D.)
| | - Rita de Cássia Marqueti
- Laboratory of Molecular Analysis, Postgraduate Program in Health and Sciences and Technology, Faculty of Ceilândia, University of Brasilia, Brasilia 72220-275, DF, Brazil
- Laboratory of Molecular Analysis, Postgraduate Program in Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Ceilândia, University of Brasilia, Brasilia 72220-275, DF, Brazil; (V.A.); (J.L.Q.D.)
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10
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Immune Dynamics Involved in Acute and Convalescent COVID-19 Patients. IMMUNO 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/immuno3010007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 is a viral disease that has caused millions of deaths around the world since 2020. Many strategies have been developed to manage patients in critical conditions; however, comprehension of the immune system is a key factor in viral clearance, tissue repairment, and adaptive immunity stimulus. Participation of immunity has been identified as a major factor, along with biomarkers, prediction of clinical outcomes, and antibody production after infection. Immune cells have been proposed not only as a hallmark of severity, but also as a predictor of clinical outcomes, while dynamics of inflammatory molecules can also induce worse consequences for acute patients. For convalescent patients, mild disease was related to higher antibody production, although the factors related to the specific antibodies based on a diversity of antigens were not clear. COVID-19 was explored over time; however, the study of immunological predictors of outcomes is still lacking discussion, especially in convalescent patients. Here, we propose a review using previously published studies to identify immunological markers of COVID-19 outcomes and their relation to antibody production to further contribute to the clinical and laboratorial management of patients.
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11
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Transcriptional reprogramming of infiltrating neutrophils drives lung pathology in severe COVID-19 despite low viral load. Blood Adv 2023; 7:778-799. [PMID: 36399523 PMCID: PMC9906672 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2022008834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Troubling disparities in COVID-19-associated mortality emerged early, with nearly 70% of deaths confined to Black/African American (AA) patients in some areas. However, targeted studies on this vulnerable population are scarce. Here, we applied multiomics single-cell analyses of immune profiles from matching airways and blood samples of Black/AA patients during acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. Transcriptional reprogramming of infiltrating IFITM2+/S100A12+ mature neutrophils, likely recruited via the IL-8/CXCR2 axis, leads to persistent and self-sustaining pulmonary neutrophilia with advanced features of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) despite low viral load in the airways. In addition, exacerbated neutrophil production of IL-8, IL-1β, IL-6, and CCL3/4, along with elevated levels of neutrophil elastase and myeloperoxidase, were the hallmarks of transcriptionally active and pathogenic airway neutrophilia. Although our analysis was limited to Black/AA patients and was not designed as a comparative study across different ethnicities, we present an unprecedented in-depth analysis of the immunopathology that leads to acute respiratory distress syndrome in a well-defined patient population disproportionally affected by severe COVID-19.
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12
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Moisa E, Dutu M, Corneci D, Grintescu IM, Negoita S. Hematological Parameters and Procalcitonin as Discriminants between Bacterial Pneumonia-Induced Sepsis and Viral Sepsis Secondary to COVID-19: A Retrospective Single-Center Analysis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065146. [PMID: 36982221 PMCID: PMC10049727 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial and viral sepsis induce alterations of all hematological parameters and procalcitonin is used as a biomarker of infection and disease severity. Our aim was to study the hematological patterns associated with pulmonary sepsis triggered by bacteria and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus-type-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and to identify the discriminants between them. We performed a retrospective, observational study including 124 patients with bacterial sepsis and 138 patients with viral sepsis. Discriminative ability of hematological parameters and procalcitonin between sepsis types was tested using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Sensitivity (Sn%), specificity (Sp%), positive and negative likelihood ratios were calculated for the identified cut-off values. Patients with bacterial sepsis were older than patients with viral sepsis (p < 0.001), with no differences regarding gender. Subsequently to ROC analysis, procalcitonin had excellent discriminative ability for bacterial sepsis diagnosis with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.92 (cut-off value of >1.49 ng/mL; Sn = 76.6%, Sp = 94.2%), followed by RDW% with an AUC = 0.87 (cut-off value >14.8%; Sn = 80.7%, Sp = 85.5%). Leukocytes, monocytes and neutrophils had good discriminative ability with AUCs between 0.76-0.78 (p < 0.001), while other hematological parameters had fair or no discriminative ability. Lastly, procalcitonin value was strongly correlated with disease severity in both types of sepsis (p < 0.001). Procalcitonin and RDW% had the best discriminative ability between bacterial and viral sepsis, followed by leukocytes, monocytes and neutrophils. Procalcitonin is a marker of disease severity regardless of sepsis type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuel Moisa
- Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, 'Carol Davila' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
- Clinic of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Elias University Emergency Hospital, 011461 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Madalina Dutu
- Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, 'Carol Davila' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
- Clinic of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Dr. Carol Davila Central Military Emergency University Hospital, 010825 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Dan Corneci
- Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, 'Carol Davila' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
- Clinic of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Dr. Carol Davila Central Military Emergency University Hospital, 010825 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Ioana Marina Grintescu
- Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, 'Carol Davila' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
- Clinic of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Clinical Emergency Hospital of Bucharest, 014461 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Silvius Negoita
- Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, 'Carol Davila' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
- Clinic of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Elias University Emergency Hospital, 011461 Bucharest, Romania
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13
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de Carvalho AC, Dias CSB, Coimbra LD, Rocha RPF, Borin A, Fontoura MA, Carvalho M, Proost P, Nogueira ML, Consonni SR, Sesti-Costa R, Marques RE. Characterization of Systemic Disease Development and Paw Inflammation in a Susceptible Mouse Model of Mayaro Virus Infection and Validation Using X-ray Synchrotron Microtomography. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:4799. [PMID: 36902230 PMCID: PMC10003659 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24054799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Mayaro virus (MAYV) is an emerging arthropod-borne virus endemic in Latin America and the causative agent of arthritogenic febrile disease. Mayaro fever is poorly understood; thus, we established an in vivo model of infection in susceptible type-I interferon receptor-deficient mice (IFNAR-/-) to characterize the disease. MAYV inoculations in the hind paws of IFNAR-/- mice result in visible paw inflammation, evolve into a disseminated infection and involve the activation of immune responses and inflammation. The histological analysis of inflamed paws indicated edema at the dermis and between muscle fibers and ligaments. Paw edema affected multiple tissues and was associated with MAYV replication, the local production of CXCL1 and the recruitment of granulocytes and mononuclear leukocytes to muscle. We developed a semi-automated X-ray microtomography method to visualize both soft tissue and bone, allowing for the quantification of MAYV-induced paw edema in 3D with a voxel size of 69 µm3. The results confirmed early edema onset and spreading through multiple tissues in inoculated paws. In conclusion, we detailed features of MAYV-induced systemic disease and the manifestation of paw edema in a mouse model extensively used to study infection with alphaviruses. The participation of lymphocytes and neutrophils and expression of CXCL1 are key features in both systemic and local manifestations of MAYV disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Carolina de Carvalho
- Brazilian National Biosciences Laboratory—LNBio, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials—CNPEM, R. Giuseppe Máximo Scolfaro, 10000-Bosque das Palmeiras, Campinas 13083-100, Brazil
- Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Rua Bertrand Russel, Campinas 13083-970, Brazil
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven), Herestraat 49 Box 1042, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Carlos Sato B. Dias
- Institut Für Photonenforschung und Synchrotronstrahlung (IPS), Karlsruher Institut Für Technologie (KIT), Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, 76344 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Laís D. Coimbra
- Brazilian National Biosciences Laboratory—LNBio, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials—CNPEM, R. Giuseppe Máximo Scolfaro, 10000-Bosque das Palmeiras, Campinas 13083-100, Brazil
- Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Rua Bertrand Russel, Campinas 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Rebeca P. F. Rocha
- Brazilian National Biosciences Laboratory—LNBio, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials—CNPEM, R. Giuseppe Máximo Scolfaro, 10000-Bosque das Palmeiras, Campinas 13083-100, Brazil
- Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Rua Bertrand Russel, Campinas 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Borin
- Brazilian National Biosciences Laboratory—LNBio, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials—CNPEM, R. Giuseppe Máximo Scolfaro, 10000-Bosque das Palmeiras, Campinas 13083-100, Brazil
- Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Rua Bertrand Russel, Campinas 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Marina A. Fontoura
- Brazilian National Biosciences Laboratory—LNBio, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials—CNPEM, R. Giuseppe Máximo Scolfaro, 10000-Bosque das Palmeiras, Campinas 13083-100, Brazil
- Department of Biochemistry and Tissue Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Rua Monteiro Lobato, s/n, Campinas 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Murilo Carvalho
- Brazilian National Biosciences Laboratory—LNBio, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials—CNPEM, R. Giuseppe Máximo Scolfaro, 10000-Bosque das Palmeiras, Campinas 13083-100, Brazil
- Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory—LNLS, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials—CNPEM, R. Giuseppe Máximo Scolfaro, 10000-Bosque das Palmeiras, Campinas 13083-100, Brazil
| | - Paul Proost
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven), Herestraat 49 Box 1042, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Maurício L. Nogueira
- Laboratório de Pesquisas em Virologia (LPV), São José do Rio Preto Medical School (FAMERP), Av. Brigadeiro Faria Lima, 5416-Vila São Pedro, São José do Rio Preto 15090-000, Brazil
| | - Sílvio R. Consonni
- Department of Biochemistry and Tissue Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Rua Monteiro Lobato, s/n, Campinas 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Renata Sesti-Costa
- Brazilian National Biosciences Laboratory—LNBio, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials—CNPEM, R. Giuseppe Máximo Scolfaro, 10000-Bosque das Palmeiras, Campinas 13083-100, Brazil
| | - Rafael Elias Marques
- Brazilian National Biosciences Laboratory—LNBio, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials—CNPEM, R. Giuseppe Máximo Scolfaro, 10000-Bosque das Palmeiras, Campinas 13083-100, Brazil
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14
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Cambier S, Gouwy M, Proost P. The chemokines CXCL8 and CXCL12: molecular and functional properties, role in disease and efforts towards pharmacological intervention. Cell Mol Immunol 2023; 20:217-251. [PMID: 36725964 PMCID: PMC9890491 DOI: 10.1038/s41423-023-00974-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 90.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemokines are an indispensable component of our immune system through the regulation of directional migration and activation of leukocytes. CXCL8 is the most potent human neutrophil-attracting chemokine and plays crucial roles in the response to infection and tissue injury. CXCL8 activity inherently depends on interaction with the human CXC chemokine receptors CXCR1 and CXCR2, the atypical chemokine receptor ACKR1, and glycosaminoglycans. Furthermore, (hetero)dimerization and tight regulation of transcription and translation, as well as post-translational modifications further fine-tune the spatial and temporal activity of CXCL8 in the context of inflammatory diseases and cancer. The CXCL8 interaction with receptors and glycosaminoglycans is therefore a promising target for therapy, as illustrated by multiple ongoing clinical trials. CXCL8-mediated neutrophil mobilization to blood is directly opposed by CXCL12, which retains leukocytes in bone marrow. CXCL12 is primarily a homeostatic chemokine that induces migration and activation of hematopoietic progenitor cells, endothelial cells, and several leukocytes through interaction with CXCR4, ACKR1, and ACKR3. Thereby, it is an essential player in the regulation of embryogenesis, hematopoiesis, and angiogenesis. However, CXCL12 can also exert inflammatory functions, as illustrated by its pivotal role in a growing list of pathologies and its synergy with CXCL8 and other chemokines to induce leukocyte chemotaxis. Here, we review the plethora of information on the CXCL8 structure, interaction with receptors and glycosaminoglycans, different levels of activity regulation, role in homeostasis and disease, and therapeutic prospects. Finally, we discuss recent research on CXCL12 biochemistry and biology and its role in pathology and pharmacology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seppe Cambier
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Rega Institute, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Mieke Gouwy
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Rega Institute, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Paul Proost
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Rega Institute, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
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15
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Brusa S, Terracciano D, Bruzzese D, Fiorenza M, Stanziola L, Pinchera B, Valente V, Gentile I, Cittadini A, Mormile I, Mormile M, Portella G. Circulating tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 1 (TIMP-1) at COVID-19 onset predicts severity status. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:1034288. [PMID: 36523781 PMCID: PMC9744795 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.1034288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Systemic biomarkers for severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection are of great interest. In this study, we evaluated a set of collagen metabolites and extracellular matrix remodeling biomarkers including procollagen type III amino terminal propeptide (PIIINP), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 1 (TIMP-1) and hyaluronic acid (HA) as prognostic indicators in COVID-19 patients. METHODS Ninety COVID-19 patients with the absence of chronic liver diseases were enrolled. Serum PIIINP, TIMP-1, and HA were measured and correlated with inflammatory indices and clinical variables. Patients were stratified for disease severity according to WHO criteria in two groups, based on the requirement of oxygen support. RESULTS Serum TIMP-1, but not PIIINP and HA was significantly higher in patients with WHO score ≥5 compared to patients with WHO score <5 [PIIINP: 7.2 (5.4-9.5) vs. 7.1 (4.5-9.9), p = 0.782; TIMP-1: 298.1 (20.5-460) vs. 222.2 (28.5-452.8), p = 0.01; HA: 117.1 (55.4-193.7) vs. 75.1 (36.9-141.8), p = 0.258]. TIMP-1 showed moderate correlation with CRP (r = 0.312, p = 0.003) and with LDH (r = 0.263, p = 0.009). CRP and serum LDH levels were significantly higher in COVID-19 patients with WHO score ≥5 compared to the group of patients with WHO score < 5 [15.8 (9-44.5) vs. 9.3 (3.4-33.8), p = 0.039 and 373 (282-465) vs. 289 (218-383), p = 0.013, respectively]. CONCLUSION In patients with COVID-19, circulating TIMP-1 was associated with disease severity and with systemic inflammatory index, suggesting that TIMP-1 could represent a promising non-invasive prognostic biomarker in COVID-19 patients. Interestingly, our results prompted that serum TIMP-1 level may potentially be used to select the patients for therapeutic approaches targeting matrix metalloproteases pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Brusa
- Department of Translational Medical Science, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Daniela Terracciano
- Department of Translational Medical Science, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Dario Bruzzese
- Department of Public Health, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Mariano Fiorenza
- Department of Translational Medical Science, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Lucia Stanziola
- Department of Translational Medical Science, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Biagio Pinchera
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Valeria Valente
- Department of Translational Medical Science, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Ivan Gentile
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Antonio Cittadini
- Department of Translational Medical Science, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Ilaria Mormile
- Department of Translational Medical Science, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Mauro Mormile
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Portella
- Department of Translational Medical Science, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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16
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Aviv A. The bullwhip effect, T-cell telomeres, and SARS-CoV-2. THE LANCET. HEALTHY LONGEVITY 2022; 3:e715-e721. [PMID: 36202131 PMCID: PMC9529217 DOI: 10.1016/s2666-7568(22)00190-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Both myeloid cells, which contribute to innate immunity, and lymphoid cells, which dominate adaptive immunity, partake in defending against SARS-CoV-2. In response to the virus, the otherwise slow haematopoietic production supply chain quickly unleashes its preconfigured myeloid element, which largely resists a bullwhip-like effect. By contrast, the lymphoid element risks a bullwhip-like effect when it produces T cells and B cells that are specifically designed to clear the virus. As T-cell production is telomere-length dependent and telomeres shorten with age, older adults are at higher risk of a T-cell shortfall when contracting SARS-CoV-2 than are younger adults. A poorly calibrated adaptive immune response, stemming from a bullwhip-like effect, compounded by a T-cell deficit, might thus contribute to the propensity of people with inherently short T-cell telomeres to develop severe COVID-19. The immune systems of these individuals might also generate an inadequate T-cell response to anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abraham Aviv
- Center of Human Development and Aging, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, USA.
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17
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Belchamber KBR, Thein OS, Hazeldine J, Grudzinska FS, Faniyi AA, Hughes MJ, Jasper AE, Yip KP, Crowley LE, Lugg ST, Sapey E, Parekh D, Thickett DR, Scott A. Dysregulated Neutrophil Phenotype and Function in Hospitalised Non-ICU COVID-19 Pneumonia. Cells 2022; 11:2901. [PMID: 36139476 PMCID: PMC9496854 DOI: 10.3390/cells11182901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Rationale: Infection with the SARS-CoV2 virus is associated with elevated neutrophil counts. Evidence of neutrophil dysfunction in COVID-19 is based on transcriptomics or single functional assays. Cell functions are interwoven pathways, and understanding the effect across the spectrum of neutrophil function may identify therapeutic targets. Objectives: Examine neutrophil phenotype and function in 41 hospitalised, non-ICU COVID-19 patients versus 23 age-matched controls (AMC) and 26 community acquired pneumonia patients (CAP). Methods: Isolated neutrophils underwent ex vivo analyses for migration, bacterial phagocytosis, ROS generation, NETosis and receptor expression. Circulating DNAse 1 activity, levels of cfDNA, MPO, VEGF, IL-6 and sTNFRI were measured and correlated to clinical outcome. Serial sampling on day three to five post hospitalization were also measured. The effect of ex vivo PI3K inhibition was measured in a further cohort of 18 COVID-19 patients. Results: Compared to AMC and CAP, COVID-19 neutrophils demonstrated elevated transmigration (p = 0.0397) and NETosis (p = 0.0332), and impaired phagocytosis (p = 0.0036) associated with impaired ROS generation (p < 0.0001). The percentage of CD54+ neutrophils (p < 0.001) was significantly increased, while surface expression of CD11b (p = 0.0014) and PD-L1 (p = 0.006) were significantly decreased in COVID-19. COVID-19 and CAP patients showed increased systemic markers of NETosis including increased cfDNA (p = 0.0396) and impaired DNAse activity (p < 0.0001). The ex vivo inhibition of PI3K γ and δ reduced NET release by COVID-19 neutrophils (p = 0.0129). Conclusions: COVID-19 is associated with neutrophil dysfunction across all main effector functions, with altered phenotype, elevated migration and NETosis, and impaired antimicrobial responses. These changes highlight that targeting neutrophil function may help modulate COVID-19 severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kylie B. R. Belchamber
- Birmingham Acute Care Research Group, Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Onn S. Thein
- Birmingham Acute Care Research Group, Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Jon Hazeldine
- National Institute for Health Research Surgical Reconstruction and Microbiology Research Centre, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TH, UK
| | - Frances S. Grudzinska
- Birmingham Acute Care Research Group, Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Aduragbemi A. Faniyi
- Birmingham Acute Care Research Group, Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Michael J. Hughes
- Birmingham Acute Care Research Group, Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Alice E. Jasper
- Birmingham Acute Care Research Group, Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Kay Por Yip
- Birmingham Acute Care Research Group, Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Louise E. Crowley
- Birmingham Acute Care Research Group, Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Sebastian T. Lugg
- Birmingham Acute Care Research Group, Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Elizabeth Sapey
- Birmingham Acute Care Research Group, Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
- PIONEER HDR-UK Hub in Acute Care, Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Dhruv Parekh
- Birmingham Acute Care Research Group, Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
- NIHR Clinical Research Facility, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Edgbaston, Birmingham B12 2GW, UK
| | - David R. Thickett
- Birmingham Acute Care Research Group, Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Aaron Scott
- Birmingham Acute Care Research Group, Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
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18
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Beltrami AP, De Martino M, Dalla E, Malfatti MC, Caponnetto F, Codrich M, Stefanizzi D, Fabris M, Sozio E, D’Aurizio F, Pucillo CEM, Sechi LA, Tascini C, Curcio F, Foresti GL, Piciarelli C, De Nardin A, Tell G, Isola M. Combining Deep Phenotyping of Serum Proteomics and Clinical Data via Machine Learning for COVID-19 Biomarker Discovery. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:9161. [PMID: 36012423 PMCID: PMC9409308 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23169161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The persistence of long-term coronavirus-induced disease 2019 (COVID-19) sequelae demands better insights into its natural history. Therefore, it is crucial to discover the biomarkers of disease outcome to improve clinical practice. In this study, 160 COVID-19 patients were enrolled, of whom 80 had a "non-severe" and 80 had a "severe" outcome. Sera were analyzed by proximity extension assay (PEA) to assess 274 unique proteins associated with inflammation, cardiometabolic, and neurologic diseases. The main clinical and hematochemical data associated with disease outcome were grouped with serological data to form a dataset for the supervised machine learning techniques. We identified nine proteins (i.e., CD200R1, MCP1, MCP3, IL6, LTBP2, MATN3, TRANCE, α2-MRAP, and KIT) that contributed to the correct classification of COVID-19 disease severity when combined with relative neutrophil and lymphocyte counts. By analyzing PEA, clinical and hematochemical data with statistical methods that were able to handle many variables in the presence of a relatively small sample size, we identified nine potential serum biomarkers of a "severe" outcome. Most of these were confirmed by literature data. Importantly, we found three biomarkers associated with central nervous system pathologies and protective factors, which were downregulated in the most severe cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Paolo Beltrami
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy
- Academic Hospital of Udine (ASUFC), 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Maria De Martino
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Emiliano Dalla
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | | | | | - Marta Codrich
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy
- Academic Hospital of Udine (ASUFC), 33100 Udine, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Leonardo A. Sechi
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Carlo Tascini
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy
- Academic Hospital of Udine (ASUFC), 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Francesco Curcio
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy
- Academic Hospital of Udine (ASUFC), 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Gian Luca Foresti
- Department of Mathematics, Informatics and Physics (DMIF), University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Claudio Piciarelli
- Department of Mathematics, Informatics and Physics (DMIF), University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Axel De Nardin
- Department of Mathematics, Informatics and Physics (DMIF), University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Gianluca Tell
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Miriam Isola
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy
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19
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Boff D, Russo RC, Crijns H, de Oliveira VLS, Mattos MS, Marques PE, Menezes GB, Vieira AT, Teixeira MM, Proost P, Amaral FA. The Therapeutic Treatment with the GAG-Binding Chemokine Fragment CXCL9(74-103) Attenuates Neutrophilic Inflammation and Lung Dysfunction during Klebsiella pneumoniae Infection in Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23116246. [PMID: 35682923 PMCID: PMC9181286 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23116246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Klebsiella pneumoniae is an important pathogen associated with hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP). Bacterial pneumonia is characterized by a harmful inflammatory response with a massive influx of neutrophils, production of cytokines and chemokines, and consequent tissue damage and dysfunction. Targeted therapies to block neutrophil migration to avoid tissue damage while keeping the antimicrobial properties of tissue remains a challenge in the field. Here we tested the effect of the anti-inflammatory properties of the chemokine fragment CXCL9(74–103) in pneumonia induced by Klebsiella pneumoniae in mice. Mice were infected by intratracheal injection of Klebsiella pneumoniae and 6 h after infection were treated systemically with CXCL9(74–103). The recruitment of leukocytes, levels of cytokines and chemokines, colony-forming units (CFU), and lung function were evaluated. The treatment with CXCL9(74–103) decreased neutrophil migration to the airways and the production of the cytokine interleukin-1β (IL-1β) without affecting bacterial control. In addition, the therapeutic treatment improved lung function in infected mice. Our results indicated that the treatment with CXCL9(74–103) reduced inflammation and improved lung function in Klebsiella pneumoniae-induced pneumonia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daiane Boff
- Imunofarmacologia, Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil; (D.B.); (V.L.S.d.O.); (M.M.T.)
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (H.C.); (M.S.M.); (P.E.M.)
| | - Remo Castro Russo
- Laboratory of Pulmonary Immunology and Mechanics, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil;
| | - Helena Crijns
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (H.C.); (M.S.M.); (P.E.M.)
| | - Vivian Louise Soares de Oliveira
- Imunofarmacologia, Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil; (D.B.); (V.L.S.d.O.); (M.M.T.)
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (H.C.); (M.S.M.); (P.E.M.)
| | - Matheus Silvério Mattos
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (H.C.); (M.S.M.); (P.E.M.)
| | - Pedro Elias Marques
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (H.C.); (M.S.M.); (P.E.M.)
| | - Gustavo Batista Menezes
- Center of Gastrointestinal Biology, Department of Morphology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil;
| | - Angélica Thomaz Vieira
- Laboratory of Microbiota and Immunomodulation, Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil;
| | - Mauro Martins Teixeira
- Imunofarmacologia, Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil; (D.B.); (V.L.S.d.O.); (M.M.T.)
| | - Paul Proost
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (H.C.); (M.S.M.); (P.E.M.)
- Correspondence: (P.P.); (F.A.A.)
| | - Flávio Almeida Amaral
- Imunofarmacologia, Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil; (D.B.); (V.L.S.d.O.); (M.M.T.)
- Correspondence: (P.P.); (F.A.A.)
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20
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Schimke LF, Marques AHC, Baiocchi GC, de Souza Prado CA, Fonseca DLM, Freire PP, Rodrigues Plaça D, Salerno Filgueiras I, Coelho Salgado R, Jansen-Marques G, Rocha Oliveira AE, Peron JPS, Cabral-Miranda G, Barbuto JAM, Camara NOS, Calich VLG, Ochs HD, Condino-Neto A, Overmyer KA, Coon JJ, Balnis J, Jaitovich A, Schulte-Schrepping J, Ulas T, Schultze JL, Nakaya HI, Jurisica I, Cabral-Marques O. Severe COVID-19 Shares a Common Neutrophil Activation Signature with Other Acute Inflammatory States. Cells 2022; 11:cells11050847. [PMID: 35269470 PMCID: PMC8909161 DOI: 10.3390/cells11050847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe COVID-19 patients present a clinical and laboratory overlap with other hyperinflammatory conditions such as hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). However, the underlying mechanisms of these conditions remain to be explored. Here, we investigated the transcriptome of 1596 individuals, including patients with COVID-19 in comparison to healthy controls, other acute inflammatory states (HLH, multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children [MIS-C], Kawasaki disease [KD]), and different respiratory infections (seasonal coronavirus, influenza, bacterial pneumonia). We observed that COVID-19 and HLH share immunological pathways (cytokine/chemokine signaling and neutrophil-mediated immune responses), including gene signatures that stratify COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and COVID-19_nonICU patients. Of note, among the common differentially expressed genes (DEG), there is a cluster of neutrophil-associated genes that reflects a generalized hyperinflammatory state since it is also dysregulated in patients with KD and bacterial pneumonia. These genes are dysregulated at the protein level across several COVID-19 studies and form an interconnected network with differentially expressed plasma proteins that point to neutrophil hyperactivation in COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit. scRNAseq analysis indicated that these genes are specifically upregulated across different leukocyte populations, including lymphocyte subsets and immature neutrophils. Artificial intelligence modeling confirmed the strong association of these genes with COVID-19 severity. Thus, our work indicates putative therapeutic pathways for intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena F. Schimke
- Department of Imunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (A.H.C.M.); (G.C.B.); (P.P.F.); (I.S.F.); (R.C.S.); (J.P.S.P.); (G.C.-M.); (J.A.M.B.); (N.O.S.C.); (V.L.G.C.); (A.C.-N.)
- Correspondence: (L.F.S.); (O.C.-M.); Tel.: +55-11-943661555 (L.F.S.); +55-11-974642022 (O.C.-M.)
| | - Alexandre H. C. Marques
- Department of Imunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (A.H.C.M.); (G.C.B.); (P.P.F.); (I.S.F.); (R.C.S.); (J.P.S.P.); (G.C.-M.); (J.A.M.B.); (N.O.S.C.); (V.L.G.C.); (A.C.-N.)
| | - Gabriela Crispim Baiocchi
- Department of Imunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (A.H.C.M.); (G.C.B.); (P.P.F.); (I.S.F.); (R.C.S.); (J.P.S.P.); (G.C.-M.); (J.A.M.B.); (N.O.S.C.); (V.L.G.C.); (A.C.-N.)
| | - Caroline Aliane de Souza Prado
- Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analyses, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (C.A.d.S.P.); (D.L.M.F.); (D.R.P.); (A.E.R.O.); (H.I.N.)
| | - Dennyson Leandro M. Fonseca
- Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analyses, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (C.A.d.S.P.); (D.L.M.F.); (D.R.P.); (A.E.R.O.); (H.I.N.)
| | - Paula Paccielli Freire
- Department of Imunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (A.H.C.M.); (G.C.B.); (P.P.F.); (I.S.F.); (R.C.S.); (J.P.S.P.); (G.C.-M.); (J.A.M.B.); (N.O.S.C.); (V.L.G.C.); (A.C.-N.)
| | - Desirée Rodrigues Plaça
- Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analyses, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (C.A.d.S.P.); (D.L.M.F.); (D.R.P.); (A.E.R.O.); (H.I.N.)
| | - Igor Salerno Filgueiras
- Department of Imunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (A.H.C.M.); (G.C.B.); (P.P.F.); (I.S.F.); (R.C.S.); (J.P.S.P.); (G.C.-M.); (J.A.M.B.); (N.O.S.C.); (V.L.G.C.); (A.C.-N.)
| | - Ranieri Coelho Salgado
- Department of Imunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (A.H.C.M.); (G.C.B.); (P.P.F.); (I.S.F.); (R.C.S.); (J.P.S.P.); (G.C.-M.); (J.A.M.B.); (N.O.S.C.); (V.L.G.C.); (A.C.-N.)
| | - Gabriel Jansen-Marques
- Information Systems, School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of Sao Paulo, São Paulo 03828-000, Brazil;
| | - Antonio Edson Rocha Oliveira
- Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analyses, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (C.A.d.S.P.); (D.L.M.F.); (D.R.P.); (A.E.R.O.); (H.I.N.)
| | - Jean Pierre Schatzmann Peron
- Department of Imunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (A.H.C.M.); (G.C.B.); (P.P.F.); (I.S.F.); (R.C.S.); (J.P.S.P.); (G.C.-M.); (J.A.M.B.); (N.O.S.C.); (V.L.G.C.); (A.C.-N.)
| | - Gustavo Cabral-Miranda
- Department of Imunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (A.H.C.M.); (G.C.B.); (P.P.F.); (I.S.F.); (R.C.S.); (J.P.S.P.); (G.C.-M.); (J.A.M.B.); (N.O.S.C.); (V.L.G.C.); (A.C.-N.)
| | - José Alexandre Marzagão Barbuto
- Department of Imunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (A.H.C.M.); (G.C.B.); (P.P.F.); (I.S.F.); (R.C.S.); (J.P.S.P.); (G.C.-M.); (J.A.M.B.); (N.O.S.C.); (V.L.G.C.); (A.C.-N.)
- Laboratory of Medical Investigation in Pathogenesis, Targeted Therapy in Onco-Immuno-Hematology (LIM-31), Department of Hematology, Hospital das Clínicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo 05403-000, Brazil
| | - Niels Olsen Saraiva Camara
- Department of Imunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (A.H.C.M.); (G.C.B.); (P.P.F.); (I.S.F.); (R.C.S.); (J.P.S.P.); (G.C.-M.); (J.A.M.B.); (N.O.S.C.); (V.L.G.C.); (A.C.-N.)
| | - Vera Lúcia Garcia Calich
- Department of Imunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (A.H.C.M.); (G.C.B.); (P.P.F.); (I.S.F.); (R.C.S.); (J.P.S.P.); (G.C.-M.); (J.A.M.B.); (N.O.S.C.); (V.L.G.C.); (A.C.-N.)
| | - Hans D. Ochs
- Department of Pediatrics, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98101, USA;
| | - Antonio Condino-Neto
- Department of Imunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (A.H.C.M.); (G.C.B.); (P.P.F.); (I.S.F.); (R.C.S.); (J.P.S.P.); (G.C.-M.); (J.A.M.B.); (N.O.S.C.); (V.L.G.C.); (A.C.-N.)
| | - Katherine A. Overmyer
- National Center for Quantitative Biology of Complex Systems, Madison, WI 53562, USA; (K.A.O.); (J.J.C.)
- Morgridge Institute for Research, Madison, WI 53562, USA
| | - Joshua J. Coon
- National Center for Quantitative Biology of Complex Systems, Madison, WI 53562, USA; (K.A.O.); (J.J.C.)
- Morgridge Institute for Research, Madison, WI 53562, USA
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53506, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53506, USA
| | - Joseph Balnis
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Albany Medical Center, Albany, NY 12208, USA; (J.B.); (A.J.)
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY 12208, USA
| | - Ariel Jaitovich
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Albany Medical Center, Albany, NY 12208, USA; (J.B.); (A.J.)
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY 12208, USA
| | - Jonas Schulte-Schrepping
- Life and Medical Sciences (LIMES) Institute, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany; (J.S.-S.); (J.L.S.)
- Systems Medicine, Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany;
| | - Thomas Ulas
- Systems Medicine, Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany;
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), PRECISE Platform for Genomics and Epigenomics at DZNE, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Joachim L. Schultze
- Life and Medical Sciences (LIMES) Institute, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany; (J.S.-S.); (J.L.S.)
- Systems Medicine, Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany;
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), PRECISE Platform for Genomics and Epigenomics at DZNE, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Helder I. Nakaya
- Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analyses, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (C.A.d.S.P.); (D.L.M.F.); (D.R.P.); (A.E.R.O.); (H.I.N.)
- Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo 05652-900, Brazil
- Scientific Platform Pasteur, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-020, Brazil
| | - Igor Jurisica
- Osteoarthritis Research Program, Division of Orthopedic Surgery, Schroeder Arthritis Institute and Data Science Discovery Centre for Chronic Diseases, Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5T 0S8, Canada;
- Departments of Medical Biophysics and Computer Science, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 845 10 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Otávio Cabral-Marques
- Department of Imunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (A.H.C.M.); (G.C.B.); (P.P.F.); (I.S.F.); (R.C.S.); (J.P.S.P.); (G.C.-M.); (J.A.M.B.); (N.O.S.C.); (V.L.G.C.); (A.C.-N.)
- Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analyses, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (C.A.d.S.P.); (D.L.M.F.); (D.R.P.); (A.E.R.O.); (H.I.N.)
- Network of Immunity in Infection, Malignancy, Autoimmunity (NIIMA), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
- Correspondence: (L.F.S.); (O.C.-M.); Tel.: +55-11-943661555 (L.F.S.); +55-11-974642022 (O.C.-M.)
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21
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Wang X, Sanborn MA, Dai Y, Rehman J. Temporal transcriptomic analysis using TrendCatcher identifies early and persistent neutrophil activation in severe COVID-19. JCI Insight 2022; 7:157255. [PMID: 35175937 PMCID: PMC9057597 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.157255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Studying temporal gene expression shifts during disease progression provides important insights into the biological mechanisms that distinguish adaptive and maladaptive responses. Existing tools for the analysis of time course transcriptomic data are not designed to optimally identify distinct temporal patterns when analyzing dynamic differentially expressed genes (DDEGs). Moreover, there are not enough methods to assess and visualize the temporal progression of biological pathways mapped from time course transcriptomic data sets. In this study, we developed an open-source R package TrendCatcher (https://github.com/jaleesr/TrendCatcher), which applies the smoothing spline ANOVA model and break point searching strategy, to identify and visualize distinct dynamic transcriptional gene signatures and biological processes from longitudinal data sets. We used TrendCatcher to perform a systematic temporal analysis of COVID-19 peripheral blood transcriptomes, including bulk and single-cell RNA-Seq time course data. TrendCatcher uncovered the early and persistent activation of neutrophils and coagulation pathways, as well as impaired type I IFN (IFN-I) signaling in circulating cells as a hallmark of patients who progressed to severe COVID-19, whereas no such patterns were identified in individuals receiving SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations or patients with mild COVID-19. These results underscore the importance of systematic temporal analysis to identify early biomarkers and possible pathogenic therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinge Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Illinois Colleges of Engineering and Medicine, Chicago, United States of America
| | - Mark A Sanborn
- Department of Pharmacology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Illinois Colleges of Engineering and Medicine, Chicago, United States of America
| | - Yang Dai
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Illinois Colleges of Engineering and Medicine, Chicago, United States of America
| | - Jalees Rehman
- Department of Pharmacology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Illinois Colleges of Engineering and Medicine, Chicago, United States of America
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22
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Pollenus E, Gouwy M, Van den Steen PE. Neutrophils in malaria: the good, the bad or the ugly? Parasite Immunol 2022; 44:e12912. [PMID: 35175636 DOI: 10.1111/pim.12912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Neutrophils are the most abundant circulating leukocytes in human peripheral blood. They are often the first cells to respond to an invading pathogen and might therefore play an important role in malaria. Malaria is a globally important disease caused by Plasmodium parasites, responsible for more than 400 000 deaths each year. Most of these deaths are caused by complications, including cerebral malaria, severe malarial anemia, placental malaria, renal injury, metabolic problems and malaria-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome. Neutrophils contribute in the immune defense against malaria, through clearance of parasites via phagocytosis, production of reactive oxygen species and release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). However, Plasmodium parasites diminish antibacterial functions of neutrophils, making patients more susceptible to other infections. Neutrophils might also be involved in the development of malaria complications, for example via the release of toxic granules and NETs. However, technical pitfalls in the determination of the roles of neutrophils have caused contradicting results. Further investigations need to consider these pitfalls, in order to elucidate the role of neutrophils in malaria complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie Pollenus
- Laboratory of Immunoparasitology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Mieke Gouwy
- Laboratory of Molecular immunology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Philippe E Van den Steen
- Laboratory of Immunoparasitology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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23
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Wargodsky R, Dela Cruz P, LaFleur J, Yamane D, Kim JS, Benjenk I, Heinz E, Irondi OO, Farrar K, Toma I, Jordan T, Goldman J, McCaffrey TA. RNA Sequencing in COVID-19 patients identifies neutrophil activation biomarkers as a promising diagnostic platform for infections. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0261679. [PMID: 35081105 PMCID: PMC8791486 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Infection with the SARS-CoV2 virus can vary from asymptomatic, or flu-like with moderate disease, up to critically severe. Severe disease, termed COVID-19, involves acute respiratory deterioration that is frequently fatal. To understand the highly variable presentation, and identify biomarkers for disease severity, blood RNA from COVID-19 patient in an intensive care unit was analyzed by whole transcriptome RNA sequencing. Both SARS-CoV2 infection and the severity of COVID-19 syndrome were associated with up to 25-fold increased expression of neutrophil-related transcripts, such as neutrophil defensin 1 (DEFA1), and 3-5-fold reductions in T cell related transcripts such as the T cell receptor (TCR). The DEFA1 RNA level detected SARS-CoV2 viremia with 95.5% sensitivity, when viremia was measured by ddPCR of whole blood RNA. Purified CD15+ neutrophils from COVID-19 patients were increased in abundance and showed striking increases in nuclear DNA staining by DAPI. Concurrently, they showed >10-fold higher elastase activity than normal controls, and correcting for their increased abundance, still showed 5-fold higher elastase activity per cell. Despite higher CD15+ neutrophil elastase activity, elastase activity was extremely low in plasma from the same patients. Collectively, the data supports the model that increased neutrophil and decreased T cell activity is associated with increased COVID-19 severity, and suggests that blood DEFA1 RNA levels and neutrophil elastase activity, both involved in neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), may be informative biomarkers of host immune activity after viral infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Wargodsky
- Department of Medicine, Division of Genomic Medicine, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Philip Dela Cruz
- Department Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - John LaFleur
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - David Yamane
- Department Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States of America
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Justin Sungmin Kim
- Department Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Ivy Benjenk
- Department Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Eric Heinz
- Department Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Obinna Ome Irondi
- Department Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Katherine Farrar
- Department Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Ian Toma
- Department of Medicine, Division of Genomic Medicine, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States of America
- Department of Clinical Research and Leadership The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States of America
- True Bearing Diagnostics, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Tristan Jordan
- Department of Medicine, Division of Genomic Medicine, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Jennifer Goldman
- Department of Medicine, Division of Genomic Medicine, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Timothy A. McCaffrey
- Department of Medicine, Division of Genomic Medicine, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States of America
- Department of Clinical Research and Leadership The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States of America
- True Bearing Diagnostics, Washington, DC, United States of America
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States of America
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24
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Quan Y, Li L, Yin Z, Chen S, Yi J, Lang J, Zhang L, Yue Q, Zhao J. Bulbus Fritillariae Cirrhosae as a Respiratory Medicine: Is There a Potential Drug in the Treatment of COVID-19? Front Pharmacol 2022; 12:784335. [PMID: 35126123 PMCID: PMC8811224 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.784335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Bulbus fritillariae cirrhosae (BFC) is one of the most used Chinese medicines for lung disease, and exerts antitussive, expectorant, anti-inflammatory, anti-asthmatic, and antioxidant effects, which is an ideal therapeutic drug for respiratory diseases such as ARDS, COPD, asthma, lung cancer, and pulmonary tuberculosis. Through this review, it is found that the therapeutic mechanism of BFC on respiratory diseases exhibits the characteristics of multi-components, multi-targets, and multi-signaling pathways. In particular, the therapeutic potential of BFC in terms of intervention of “cytokine storm”, STAT, NF-κB, and MAPK signaling pathways, as well as the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) that ACE is involved in. In the “cytokine storm” of SARS-CoV-2 infection there is an intense inflammatory response. ACE2 regulates the RAS by degradation of Ang II produced by ACE, which is associated with SARS-CoV-2. For COVID-19, may it be a potential drug? This review summarized the research progress of BFC in the respiratory diseases, discussed the development potentiality of BFC for the treatment of COVID-19, explained the chemical diversity and biological significance of the alkaloids in BFC, and clarified the material basis, molecular targets, and signaling pathways of BFC for the respiratory diseases. We hope this review can provide insights on the drug discovery of anti-COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunyun Quan
- Translational Chinese Medicine Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Academy of Chinese Medicine Sciences, Sichuan Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
- Department of Pharmacognosy, West China School of Pharmacy Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Li Li
- Translational Chinese Medicine Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Academy of Chinese Medicine Sciences, Sichuan Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhujun Yin
- Translational Chinese Medicine Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Academy of Chinese Medicine Sciences, Sichuan Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Shilong Chen
- Translational Chinese Medicine Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Academy of Chinese Medicine Sciences, Sichuan Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Jing Yi
- Translational Chinese Medicine Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Academy of Chinese Medicine Sciences, Sichuan Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Jirui Lang
- Translational Chinese Medicine Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Academy of Chinese Medicine Sciences, Sichuan Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Lu Zhang
- Translational Chinese Medicine Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Academy of Chinese Medicine Sciences, Sichuan Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Qianhua Yue
- Translational Chinese Medicine Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Academy of Chinese Medicine Sciences, Sichuan Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Junning Zhao
- Translational Chinese Medicine Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Academy of Chinese Medicine Sciences, Sichuan Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
- Department of Pharmacognosy, West China School of Pharmacy Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- *Correspondence: Junning Zhao,
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25
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Vandooren J, Itoh Y. Alpha-2-Macroglobulin in Inflammation, Immunity and Infections. Front Immunol 2022; 12:803244. [PMID: 34970276 PMCID: PMC8712716 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.803244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Alpha-2-macroglobulin is an extracellular macromolecule mainly known for its role as a broad-spectrum protease inhibitor. By presenting itself as an optimal substrate for endopeptidases of all catalytic types, alpha-2-macroglobulin lures active proteases into its molecular cage and subsequently ‘flags’ their complex for elimination. In addition to its role as a regulator of extracellular proteolysis, alpha-2-macroglobulin also has other functions such as switching proteolysis towards small substrates, facilitating cell migration and the binding of cytokines, growth factors and damaged extracellular proteins. These functions appear particularly important in the context of immune-cell function. In this review manuscript, we provide an overview of all functions of alpha-2-macroglobulin and place these in the context of inflammation, immunity and infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Vandooren
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Katholieke Universiteit (KU) Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Yoshifumi Itoh
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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26
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Hafkamp FM, Mol S, Waqué I, De Jong EC. Dexamethasone, but Not Vitamin D or A, Dampens the Inflammatory Neutrophil Response to Protect At-risk COVID-19 Patients. Immune Netw 2022; 22:e36. [PMID: 36081524 PMCID: PMC9433192 DOI: 10.4110/in.2022.22.e36] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Dexamethasone (DEX) was the first drug shown to save lives of critically ill coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients suffering from respiratory distress. A hyperactivated state of neutrophils was found in COVID-19 patients compared to non-COVID pneumonia cases. Given the beneficial effects of DEX in COVID-19 patients, we investigated the effects of DEX and of other immunomodulatory drugs vitamin D3 (VD3) and retinoic acid (RA) on neutrophil function. DEX, but not VD3 or RA, significantly inhibited all tested aspects of neutrophil function, e.g., degranulation, intracellular ROS production, CXCL8 release and NETosis. Interestingly, RA displayed the opposite effect by significantly increasing both CXCL8 and NET release by neutrophils. Taken together, these data suggest that the lower COVID-19 mortality in DEX-treated patients may in part be due to the dampening effect of DEX on the inflammatory neutrophil response, which could prevent neutrophil plugs with NETS in the lungs and other inflamed organs of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florianne M.J. Hafkamp
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam Institute for Infection & Immunity, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sanne Mol
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam Institute for Infection & Immunity, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Iris Waqué
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam Institute for Infection & Immunity, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Esther C. De Jong
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam Institute for Infection & Immunity, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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27
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Schweizer TA, Mairpady Shambat S, Vulin C, Hoeller S, Acevedo C, Huemer M, Gomez‐Mejia A, Chang C, Baum J, Hertegonne S, Hitz E, Scheier TC, Hofmaenner DA, Buehler PK, Moch H, Schuepbach RA, Brugger SD, Zinkernagel AS. Blunted sFasL signalling exacerbates TNF-driven neutrophil necroptosis in critically ill COVID-19 patients. Clin Transl Immunology 2021; 10:e1357. [PMID: 34938538 PMCID: PMC8665925 DOI: 10.1002/cti2.1357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Critically ill coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients are characterised by a severely dysregulated cytokine profile and elevated neutrophil counts, impacting disease severity. However, it remains unclear how neutrophils contribute to pathophysiology during COVID-19. Here, we assessed the impact of the dysregulated cytokine profile on the regulated cell death (RCD) programme of neutrophils. METHODS Regulated cell death phenotype of neutrophils isolated from critically ill COVID-19 patients or healthy donors and stimulated with COVID-19 or healthy plasma ex vivo was assessed by flow cytometry, time-lapse microscopy and cytokine multiplex analysis. Immunohistochemistry of COVID-19 patients and control biopsies were performed to assess the in situ neutrophil RCD phenotype. Plasma cytokine levels of COVID-19 patients and healthy donors were measured by multiplex analysis. Clinical parameters were correlated to cytokine levels of COVID-19 patients. RESULTS COVID-19 plasma induced a necroptosis-sensitive neutrophil phenotype, characterised by cell lysis, elevated release of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), increased receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase (RIPK) 1 levels and mixed lineage kinase domain-like pseudokinase (MLKL) involvement. The occurrence of neutrophil necroptosis MLKL axis was further confirmed in COVID-19 thrombus and lung biopsies. Necroptosis was induced by the tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFRI)/TNF-α axis. Moreover, reduction of soluble Fas ligand (sFasL) levels in COVID-19 patients and hence decreased signalling to Fas directly increased RIPK1 levels, exacerbated TNF-driven necroptosis and correlated with disease severity, which was abolished in patients treated with glucocorticoids. CONCLUSION Our results suggest a novel role for sFasL signalling in the TNF-α-induced RCD programme in neutrophils during COVID-19 and a potential therapeutic target to curb inflammation and thus influence disease severity and outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiziano A Schweizer
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital EpidemiologyUniversity Hospital of ZurichUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Srikanth Mairpady Shambat
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital EpidemiologyUniversity Hospital of ZurichUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Clement Vulin
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital EpidemiologyUniversity Hospital of ZurichUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Sylvia Hoeller
- Department of Pathology and Molecular PathologyUniversity Hospital of ZurichUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Claudio Acevedo
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital EpidemiologyUniversity Hospital of ZurichUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Markus Huemer
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital EpidemiologyUniversity Hospital of ZurichUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Alejandro Gomez‐Mejia
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital EpidemiologyUniversity Hospital of ZurichUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Chun‐Chi Chang
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital EpidemiologyUniversity Hospital of ZurichUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Jeruscha Baum
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital EpidemiologyUniversity Hospital of ZurichUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Sanne Hertegonne
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital EpidemiologyUniversity Hospital of ZurichUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Eva Hitz
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital EpidemiologyUniversity Hospital of ZurichUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Thomas C Scheier
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital EpidemiologyUniversity Hospital of ZurichUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Daniel A Hofmaenner
- Institute for Intensive Care MedicineUniversity Hospital of ZurichUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Philipp K Buehler
- Institute for Intensive Care MedicineUniversity Hospital of ZurichUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Holger Moch
- Department of Pathology and Molecular PathologyUniversity Hospital of ZurichUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Reto A Schuepbach
- Institute for Intensive Care MedicineUniversity Hospital of ZurichUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Silvio D Brugger
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital EpidemiologyUniversity Hospital of ZurichUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Annelies S Zinkernagel
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital EpidemiologyUniversity Hospital of ZurichUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
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28
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Cambier S, Metzemaekers M, Carvalho AC, Nooyens A, Jacobs C, Vanderbeke L, Malengier-Devlies B, Gouwy M, Heylen E, Meersseman P, Hermans G, Wauters E, Wilmer A, Consortium C, Schols D, Matthys P, Opdenakker G, Marques RE, Wauters J, Vandooren J, Proost P. Atypical response to bacterial co-infection and persistent neutrophilic broncho-alveolar inflammation distinguish critical COVID-19 from influenza. JCI Insight 2021; 7:155055. [PMID: 34793331 PMCID: PMC8765057 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.155055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Neutrophils are recognized as important circulating effector cells in the pathophysiology of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, their role within the inflamed lungs is incompletely understood. Here, we collected broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) fluids and parallel blood samples of critically ill COVID-19 patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation and compared BAL fluid parameters with those of mechanically ventilated influenza patients, as a non-COVID-19 viral pneumonia cohort. Compared to influenza, BAL fluids of COVID-19 patients contained increased numbers of hyperactivated degranulating neutrophils and elevated concentrations of the cytokines IL-1β, IL-1RA, IL-17A, TNF-α and G-CSF, the chemokines CCL7, CXCL1, CXCL8, CXCL11 and CXCL12α, and the protease inhibitors elafin, secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 1 (TIMP-1). In contrast, α-1 antitrypsin levels and net proteolytic activity were comparable in COVID-19 and influenza BAL fluids. During antibiotics treatment for bacterial co-infections, increased BAL fluid levels of several activating and chemotactic factors for monocytes, lymphocytes and NK cells were detected in COVID-19 patients whereas concentrations tended to decrease in influenza patients, highlighting the persistent immunological response to co-infections in COVID-19. Finally, the high proteolytic activity in COVID-19 lungs suggests considering protease inhibitors as a treatment option.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seppe Cambier
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | | | - Amber Nooyens
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Cato Jacobs
- Laboratory for Clinical Infectious and Inflammatory Disorders, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lore Vanderbeke
- Laboratory of Clinical Bacteriology and Mycology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Mieke Gouwy
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Elisabeth Heylen
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Philippe Meersseman
- Laboratory for Clinical Infectious and Inflammatory Disorders, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Greet Hermans
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Els Wauters
- Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases and Thoracic Surgery, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Alexander Wilmer
- Laboratory for Clinical Infectious and Inflammatory Disorders, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Contagious Consortium
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Dominique Schols
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | | | | | - Joost Wauters
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Paul Proost
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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29
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Moisa E, Corneci D, Negoita S, Filimon CR, Serbu A, Negutu MI, Grintescu IM. Dynamic Changes of the Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio, Systemic Inflammation Index, and Derived Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio Independently Predict Invasive Mechanical Ventilation Need and Death in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9111656. [PMID: 34829883 PMCID: PMC8615772 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9111656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hematological indices can predict disease severity, progression, and death in patients with coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). OBJECTIVES To study the predictive value of the dynamic changes (first 48 h after ICU admission) of the following ratios: neutrophil-to-lymphocyte (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte (PLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte (MLR), systemic inflammation index (SII), and derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte (dNLR) for invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) need and death in critically ill COVID-19 patients. METHODS Observational, retrospective, and multicentric analysis on 272 patients with severe or critical COVID-19 from two tertiary centers. Hematological indices were adjusted for confounders through multivariate analysis using Cox regression. RESULTS Patients comprised 186 males and 86 females with no difference across groups (p > 0.05). ΔNLR > 2 had the best independent predictive value for IMV need (HR = 5.05 (95% CI, 3.06-8.33, p < 0.0001)), followed by ΔSII > 340 (HR = 3.56, 95% CI 2.21-5.74, p < 0.0001) and ΔdNLR > 1 (HR = 2.61, 95% CI 1.7-4.01, p < 0.0001). Death was also best predicted by an NLR > 11 (HR = 2.25, 95% CI: 1.31-3.86, p = 0.003) followed by dNLR > 6.93 (HR = 1.89, 95% CI: 1.2-2.98, p = 0.005) and SII > 3700 (HR = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.13-2.49, p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Dynamic changes of NLR, SII, and dNLR independently predict IMV need and death in critically ill COVID-19 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuel Moisa
- Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, ‘Carol Davila’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania; (D.C.); (S.N.); (I.M.G.)
- Clinic of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Elias Emergency University Hospital, 011461 Bucharest, Romania;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +40-753021128
| | - Dan Corneci
- Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, ‘Carol Davila’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania; (D.C.); (S.N.); (I.M.G.)
- Clinic of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Dr. Carol Davila Central Military Emergency University Hospital, 010825 Bucharest, Romania; (C.R.F.); (A.S.)
| | - Silvius Negoita
- Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, ‘Carol Davila’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania; (D.C.); (S.N.); (I.M.G.)
- Clinic of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Elias Emergency University Hospital, 011461 Bucharest, Romania;
| | - Cristina Raluca Filimon
- Clinic of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Dr. Carol Davila Central Military Emergency University Hospital, 010825 Bucharest, Romania; (C.R.F.); (A.S.)
| | - Andreea Serbu
- Clinic of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Dr. Carol Davila Central Military Emergency University Hospital, 010825 Bucharest, Romania; (C.R.F.); (A.S.)
| | - Mihai Ionut Negutu
- Clinic of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Elias Emergency University Hospital, 011461 Bucharest, Romania;
| | - Ioana Marina Grintescu
- Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, ‘Carol Davila’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania; (D.C.); (S.N.); (I.M.G.)
- Clinic of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Clinical Emergency Hospital of Bucharest, 014461 Bucharest, Romania
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30
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High-dimensional profiling reveals phenotypic heterogeneity and disease-specific alterations of granulocytes in COVID-19. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2109123118. [PMID: 34548411 PMCID: PMC8501786 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2109123118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence shows that granulocytes are key modulators of the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection, and their dysregulation could significantly impact COVID-19 severity and patient recovery after virus clearance. In the present study, we identify selected immune traits in neutrophil, eosinophil, and basophil subsets associated with severity of COVID-19 and with peripheral protein profiles. Moreover, computational modeling indicates that the combined use of phenotypic data and laboratory measurements can effectively predict key clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients. Finally, patient-matched longitudinal analysis shows phenotypic normalization of granulocyte subsets 4 mo after hospitalization. Overall, in this work, we extend the current understanding of the distinct contribution of granulocyte subsets to COVID-19 pathogenesis. Since the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing evidence suggests that the innate immune responses play an important role in the disease development. A dysregulated inflammatory state has been proposed as a key driver of clinical complications in COVID-19, with a potential detrimental role of granulocytes. However, a comprehensive phenotypic description of circulating granulocytes in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)−infected patients is lacking. In this study, we used high-dimensional flow cytometry for granulocyte immunophenotyping in peripheral blood collected from COVID-19 patients during acute and convalescent phases. Severe COVID-19 was associated with increased levels of both mature and immature neutrophils, and decreased counts of eosinophils and basophils. Distinct immunotypes were evident in COVID-19 patients, with altered expression of several receptors involved in activation, adhesion, and migration of granulocytes (e.g., CD62L, CD11a/b, CD69, CD63, CXCR4). Paired sampling revealed recovery and phenotypic restoration of the granulocytic signature in the convalescent phase. The identified granulocyte immunotypes correlated with distinct sets of soluble inflammatory markers, supporting pathophysiologic relevance. Furthermore, clinical features, including multiorgan dysfunction and respiratory function, could be predicted using combined laboratory measurements and immunophenotyping. This study provides a comprehensive granulocyte characterization in COVID-19 and reveals specific immunotypes with potential predictive value for key clinical features associated with COVID-19.
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31
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Fontoura MA, Rocha RF, Marques RE. Neutrophil Recruitment and Participation in Severe Diseases Caused by Flavivirus Infection. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:717. [PMID: 34357089 PMCID: PMC8304117 DOI: 10.3390/life11070717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Neutrophils are first-line responders to infections and are recruited to target tissues through the action of chemoattractant molecules, such as chemokines. Neutrophils are crucial for the control of bacterial and fungal infections, but their role in the context of viral infections has been understudied. Flaviviruses are important human viral pathogens transmitted by arthropods. Infection with a flavivirus may result in a variety of complex disease manifestations, including hemorrhagic fever, encephalitis or congenital malformations. Our understanding of flaviviral diseases is incomplete, and so is the role of neutrophils in such diseases. Here we present a comprehensive overview on the participation of neutrophils in severe disease forms evolving from flavivirus infection, focusing on the role of chemokines and their receptors as main drivers of neutrophil function. Neutrophil activation during viral infection was shown to interfere in viral replication through effector functions, but the resulting inflammation is significant and may be detrimental to the host. For congenital infections in humans, neutrophil recruitment mediated by CXCL8 would be catastrophic. Evidence suggests that control of neutrophil recruitment to flavivirus-infected tissues may reduce immunopathology in experimental models and patients, with minimal loss to viral clearance. Further investigation on the roles of neutrophils in flaviviral infections may reveal unappreciated functions of this leukocyte population while increasing our understanding of flaviviral disease pathogenesis in its multiple forms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Alves Fontoura
- Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory—LNBio, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials—CNPEM, Campinas 13083-100, Brazil; (M.A.F.); (R.F.R.)
- Cellular and Structural Biology Graduate Program, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas 13083-865, Brazil
| | - Rebeca Fróes Rocha
- Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory—LNBio, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials—CNPEM, Campinas 13083-100, Brazil; (M.A.F.); (R.F.R.)
- Genetics and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas 13083-970, Brazil
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Rafael Elias Marques
- Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory—LNBio, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials—CNPEM, Campinas 13083-100, Brazil; (M.A.F.); (R.F.R.)
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