Lymphocyte Subsets in Covid-19 Saudi Patients: Infection Caused Significant Reduction in Peripheral Blood Lymphocyte...

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Virology
• Clinical Medicine

Background:

• COVID-19 impacts various populations globally, including Saudi Arabia.
• Understanding immune responses, specifically lymphocyte subset changes, is crucial for managing the disease.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze alterations in lymphocyte subsets among COVID-19 patients in Makkah city, Saudi Arabia.
• To investigate the association between these lymphocyte subset differences and COVID-19 infection.

Main Methods:

• Peripheral blood samples were collected from COVID-19 patients and healthy controls.
• Flow cytometry (FCM) was employed to quantify absolute and relative lymphocyte subset counts.

Main Results:

• COVID-19 patients exhibited moderate illness with common symptoms like cough, fever, and fatigue.
• Significant reductions in CD3+ T-cells, CD4+ T-cells, CD8+ T-cells, B-cells, NK cells, and total lymphocytes were noted in COVID-19 patients compared to controls.
• While percentages of CD3+ and CD4+ T-cells decreased, percentages of CD4+CD8+ T-cells, CD16+CD56+ NK cells, and CD19+ B-cells increased in COVID-19 patients.

Conclusions:

• Observed lymphocyte subset changes in Saudi COVID-19 patients align with previous meta-analysis findings.
• These alterations can potentially be utilized as a prognostic strategy to predict COVID-19 outcomes and severity.
• Further research into factors like IL-4, lymph tissue structure, and N protein-specific antibodies is recommended to elucidate the mechanisms behind these reductions.