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Physical phenotype of blood cells is altered in COVID-19
Markéta Kubánková1, Bettina Hohberger2, Jakob Hoffmanns2
1Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light & Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany.
Insights
COVID-19 alters the physical properties of blood cells, including stiffness and size. These changes in erythrocytes, lymphocytes, and neutrophils may contribute to vascular issues and persist long after recovery.
Area of Science:
- Hematology
- Immunology
- Pathophysiology
Background:
- COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, leads to severe illness and mortality.
- Hyperinflammation and coagulation disorders are implicated in COVID-19 pathology.
- The role of physical blood cell changes in COVID-19 vascular complications was previously unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate physical and mechanical alterations in key blood cell types during COVID-19.
- To compare blood cell parameters in COVID-19 patients, healthy individuals, and recovered patients.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of over four million blood cells from 17 COVID-19 patients, 24 healthy controls, and 14 recovered patients.
- Evaluation of physical parameters including size, stiffness, and deformability of erythrocytes, lymphocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, and eosinophils.
Main Results:
- Significant changes observed in lymphocyte stiffness, monocyte and neutrophil size, neutrophil deformability, and erythrocyte heterogeneity.
- Some blood cell parameter alterations normalized post-hospitalization.
- Persistent changes in certain blood cell properties were noted months after hospital discharge.
Conclusions:
- Physical changes in blood cells are a notable feature of COVID-19.
- These alterations may contribute to COVID-19-related vascular occlusion and organ damage.
- Long-term physical imprints on blood cells suggest potential for chronic effects post-COVID-19.
Abstract:
Clinical syndrome coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) induced by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 is characterized by rapid spreading and high mortality worldwide. Although the pathology is not yet fully understood, hyperinflammatory response and coagulation disorders leading to congestions of microvessels are considered to be key drivers of the still-increasing death toll. Until now, physical changes of blood cells have not been considered to play a role in COVID-19 related vascular occlusion and organ damage. Here, we report an evaluation of multiple physical parameters including the mechanical features of five frequent blood cell types, namely erythrocytes, lymphocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, and eosinophils. More than four million blood cells of 17 COVID-19 patients at different levels of severity, 24 volunteers free from infectious or inflammatory diseases, and 14 recovered COVID-19 patients were analyzed. We found significant changes in lymphocyte stiffness, monocyte size, neutrophil size and deformability, and heterogeneity of erythrocyte deformation and size. Although some of these changes recovered to normal values after hospitalization, others persisted for months after hospital discharge, evidencing the long-term imprint of COVID-19 on the body.
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