Golovkin A, Kalinina O, Bezrukikh V, Aquino A, Zaikova E, Karonova T, Melnik O, Vasilieva E, Kudryavtsev I.
Imbalanced Immune Response of T-Cell and B-Cell Subsets in Patients with Moderate and Severe COVID-19.
Viruses 2021;
13:1966. [PMID:
34696395 DOI:
10.3390/v13101966]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND
The immunological changes associated with COVID-19 are largely unknown.
METHODS
Patients with COVID-19 showing moderate (n = 18; SpO2 > 93%, respiratory rate > 22 per minute, CRP > 10 mg/L) and severe (n = 23; SpO2 < 93%, respiratory rate >30 per minute, PaO2/FiO2 ≤ 300 mmHg, permanent oxygen therapy, qSOFA > 2) infection, and 37 healthy donors (HD) were enrolled. Circulating T- and B-cell subsets were analyzed by flow cytometry.
RESULTS
CD4+Th cells were skewed toward Th2-like phenotypes within CD45RA+CD62L- (CM) and CD45RA-CD62L- (EM) cells in patients with severe COVID-19, while CM CCR6+ Th17-like cells were decreased if compared with HD. Within CM Th17-like cells "classical" Th17-like cells were increased and Th17.1-like cells were decreased in severe COVID-19 cases. Circulating CM follicular Th-like (Tfh) cells were decreased in all COVID-19 patients, and Tfh17-like cells represented the most predominant subset in severe COVID-19 cases. Both groups of patients showed increased levels of IgD-CD38++ B cells, while the levels of IgD+CD38- and IgD-CD38- were decreased. The frequency of IgD+CD27+ and IgD-CD27+ B cells was significantly reduced in severe COVID-19 cases.
CONCLUSIONS
We showed an imbalance within almost all circulating memory Th subsets during acute COVID-19 and showed that altered Tfh polarization led to a dysregulated humoral immune response.
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