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Crawford JC, Mudd PA, Turner JS, Souquette A, Reynolds D, Bender D, Bosanquet J, Anand NJ, Striker DA, Martin RS, Boon AC, House SL, Remy KE, Hotchkiss R, Presti R, O’Halloran J, Powderly WG, Thomas PG, Ellebedy AH. Distinct peripheral inflammatory profiles distinguish COVID-19 from influenza infection, with limited contributions from cytokine storm. The Journal of Immunology 2021. [DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.206.supp.20.30] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
We developed a prospective observational cohort of COVID-19 and influenza patients to assess the quality and magnitude of their immune responses at the cellular and protein levels. Although COVID-19 patients exhibited equivalent lymphocyte counts compared to influenza patients, they had fewer monocytes and lower surface HLA-class II expression on select monocyte populations compared to influenza patients and healthy controls. Decreased HLA-DR on intermediate monocytes was a significant predictor of COVID-19 disease severity. Protein cytokine levels were measured in two distinct COVID-19 cohorts, composed of 73 and 89 patients, revealing multiple inflammatory phenotypes. Only four percent of patients (7 of 162) exhibited a distinct Cytokine Storm Syndrome (CSS) phenotype. Furthermore, COVID-19 patients generally exhibited lower cytokine levels than influenza patients. Upregulation of a few innate inflammatory mediators, including IL-6, GCSF, IL-1RA, and MCP1, predicted death from acute respiratory failure among COVID-19 patients but were not statistically higher than those of influenza patients. Single-cell transcriptional profiling of 2 healthy controls as well as 3 COVID-19 and 3 influenza subjects with respiratory failure was concordant with the profound suppression in type I and type II interferon signaling in COVID-19 patients across multiple cell types. In contrast, COVID-19 cells were enriched for alterations in metabolic, stress, and apoptotic pathways. When considered across the spectrum of peripheral innate and adaptive immune profiles, the immune pathologies underlying severe influenza and COVID-19 are substantially distinct, with COVID-19 patients generally less inflamed than those with influenza.
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Mudd PA, Crawford JC, Turner JS, Souquette A, Reynolds D, Bender D, Bosanquet JP, Anand NJ, Striker DA, Martin RS, Boon ACM, House SL, Remy KE, Hotchkiss RS, Presti RM, O'Halloran JA, Powderly WG, Thomas PG, Ellebedy AH. Distinct inflammatory profiles distinguish COVID-19 from influenza with limited contributions from cytokine storm. Sci Adv 2020; 6:sciadv.abe3024. [PMID: 33187979 PMCID: PMC7725462 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abe3024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 160] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
We pursued a study of immune responses in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and influenza patients. Compared to patients with influenza, patients with COVID-19 exhibited largely equivalent lymphocyte counts, fewer monocytes, and lower surface human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-class II expression on selected monocyte populations. Furthermore, decreased HLA-DR on intermediate monocytes predicted severe COVID-19 disease. In contrast to prevailing assumptions, very few (7 of 168) patients with COVID-19 exhibited cytokine profiles indicative of cytokine storm syndrome. After controlling for multiple factors including age and sample time point, patients with COVID-19 exhibited lower cytokine levels than patients with influenza. Up-regulation of IL-6, G-CSF, IL-1RA, and MCP1 predicted death in patients with COVID-19 but were not statistically higher than patients with influenza. Single-cell transcriptional profiling revealed profound suppression of interferon signaling among patients with COVID-19. When considered across the spectrum of peripheral immune profiles, patients with COVID-19 are less inflamed than patients with influenza.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip A Mudd
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
| | | | - Jackson S Turner
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Aisha Souquette
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Daniel Reynolds
- Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Diane Bender
- Bursky Center for Human Immunology and Immunotherapy Program, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - James P Bosanquet
- Department of Critical Care, Missouri Baptist Medical Center, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Nitin J Anand
- Department of Critical Care, Missouri Baptist Medical Center, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - David A Striker
- Department of Critical Care, Missouri Baptist Medical Center, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - R Scott Martin
- Department of Critical Care, Missouri Baptist Medical Center, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Adrianus C M Boon
- Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Stacey L House
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Kenneth E Remy
- Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Richard S Hotchkiss
- Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Rachel M Presti
- Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jane A O'Halloran
- Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - William G Powderly
- Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Paul G Thomas
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
| | - Ali H Ellebedy
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
- Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Bursky Center for Human Immunology and Immunotherapy Program, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
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Remy KE, Mazer M, Striker DA, Ellebedy AH, Walton AH, Unsinger J, Blood TM, Mudd PA, Yi DJ, Mannion DA, Osborne DF, Martin RS, Anand NJ, Bosanquet JP, Blood J, Drewry AM, Caldwell CC, Turnbull IR, Brakenridge SC, Moldwawer LL, Hotchkiss RS. Severe immunosuppression and not a cytokine storm characterizes COVID-19 infections. JCI Insight 2020; 5:140329. [PMID: 32687484 PMCID: PMC7526441 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.140329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 202] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
COVID-19–associated morbidity and mortality have been attributed to a pathologic host response. Two divergent hypotheses have been proposed: hyperinflammatory cytokine storm; and failure of host protective immunity that results in unrestrained viral dissemination and organ injury. A key explanation for the inability to address this controversy has been the lack of diagnostic tools to evaluate immune function in COVID-19 infections. ELISpot, a highly sensitive, functional immunoassay, was employed in 27 patients with COVID-19, 51 patients with sepsis, 18 critically ill nonseptic (CINS) patients, and 27 healthy control volunteers to evaluate adaptive and innate immune status by quantitating T cell IFN-ɣ and monocyte TFN-α production. Circulating T cell subsets were profoundly reduced in COVID-19 patients. Additionally, stimulated blood mononuclear cells produced less than 40%–50% of the IFN-ɣ and TNF-α observed in septic and CINS patients, consistent with markedly impaired immune effector cell function. Approximately 25% of COVID-19 patients had increased IL-6 levels that were not associated with elevations in other canonical proinflammatory cytokines. Collectively, these findings support the hypothesis that COVID-19 suppresses host functional adaptive and innate immunity. Importantly, IL-7 administered ex vivo restored T cell IFN-ɣ production in COVID-19 patients. Thus, ELISpot may functionally characterize host immunity in COVID-19 and inform prospective therapies. ELISpot, a highly sensitive, functional immunoassay, suggests that COVID-19 is immunosuppressive and lacks substantial cytokine storm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth E Remy
- Department of Pediatrics.,Department of Internal Medicine, and.,Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Monty Mazer
- Department of Pediatrics.,Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - David A Striker
- Department of Critical Care, Missouri Baptist Medical Center, St. Louis, USA
| | | | - Andrew H Walton
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Jacqueline Unsinger
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Teresa M Blood
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Philip A Mudd
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | | | - Daniel A Mannion
- Department of Pediatrics.,Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Dale F Osborne
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - R Scott Martin
- Department of Critical Care, Missouri Baptist Medical Center, St. Louis, USA
| | - Nitin J Anand
- Department of Critical Care, Missouri Baptist Medical Center, St. Louis, USA
| | - James P Bosanquet
- Department of Critical Care, Missouri Baptist Medical Center, St. Louis, USA
| | - Jane Blood
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Anne M Drewry
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Charles C Caldwell
- Department of Surgery, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Isaiah R Turnbull
- Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Scott C Brakenridge
- Department of Surgery, Sepsis and Critical Illness Research Center, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Lyle L Moldwawer
- Department of Surgery, Sepsis and Critical Illness Research Center, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Richard S Hotchkiss
- Department of Internal Medicine, and.,Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.,Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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