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Innate lymphoid cell composition associates with COVID-19 disease severity
Marina García1, Efthymia Kokkinou1, Anna Carrasco García1
1Department of Medicine Huddinge Center for Infectious Medicine Karolinska Institutet Karolinska University Hospital Stockholm Sweden.
Clinical & Translational Immunology
|December 21, 2020
Summary
Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are depleted in COVID-19 patients, with remaining cells showing activation. ILC changes correlate with disease severity and inflammatory markers, suggesting a role in SARS-CoV-2 immune responses.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Virology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- The role of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains unclear.
- Understanding the immune response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is crucial for identifying therapeutic targets and understanding pathogenesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the phenotypic characteristics of circulating ILCs in COVID-19 patients.
- To identify correlations between ILC phenotypes and clinical/biomarker data in COVID-19.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of blood samples from moderate and severe COVID-19 patients and healthy controls using 18-parameter flow cytometry.
- Application of supervised and unsupervised methods to assess ILC activation and homing profiles.
- Correlation analysis of ILC phenotypes with serum biomarkers and clinical/laboratory parameters.
Main Results:
- A significant depletion of circulating ILCs was observed in COVID-19 patients compared to controls.
- Frequencies of ILC2 and ILC precursors (ILCp) were decreased, particularly in severe COVID-19.
- Activated ILC phenotypes with altered chemokine receptor expression were associated with inflammatory markers and disease severity.
Conclusions:
- This study elucidates the potential involvement of ILCs in the immune response to SARS-CoV-2.
- ILC alterations in COVID-19 are linked to disease severity and inflammatory status.
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