Frontiers in Immunology (May 2021)

Transcriptomic Signature Differences Between SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza Virus Infected Patients

  • Stéphanie Bibert,
  • Nicolas Guex,
  • Joao Lourenco,
  • Thomas Brahier,
  • Matthaios Papadimitriou-Olivgeris,
  • Lauro Damonti,
  • Lauro Damonti,
  • Oriol Manuel,
  • Robin Liechti,
  • Robin Liechti,
  • Lou Götz,
  • Lou Götz,
  • Jonathan Tschopp,
  • Mathieu Quinodoz,
  • Mathieu Quinodoz,
  • Mathieu Quinodoz,
  • Peter Vollenweider,
  • Jean-Luc Pagani,
  • Mauro Oddo,
  • Olivier Hügli,
  • Frédéric Lamoth,
  • Frédéric Lamoth,
  • Véronique Erard,
  • Cathy Voide,
  • Mauro Delorenzi,
  • Mauro Delorenzi,
  • Nathalie Rufer,
  • Fabio Candotti,
  • Carlo Rivolta,
  • Carlo Rivolta,
  • Carlo Rivolta,
  • Noémie Boillat-Blanco,
  • Pierre-Yves Bochud,
  • the RegCOVID Study Group,
  • Bochud Pierre-Yves,
  • Desgranges Florian,
  • Filippidis Paraskevas,
  • Guéry Benoit,
  • Haefliger David,
  • Kampouri Eleftheria-Evdokia,
  • Manuel Oriol,
  • Munting Aline,
  • Pagani Jean-Luc,
  • Papadimitriou-Olivgeris Matthaios,
  • Regina Jean,
  • Rochat-Stettler Laurence,
  • Suttels Veronique,
  • Tadini Eliana,
  • Tschopp Jonathan,
  • Van Singer Mathias,
  • Viala Benjamin,
  • Vollenweider Peter

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2021.666163
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12

Abstract

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The reason why most individuals with COVID-19 have relatively limited symptoms while other develop respiratory distress with life-threatening complications remains unknown. Increasing evidence suggests that COVID-19 associated adverse outcomes mainly rely on dysregulated immunity. Here, we compared transcriptomic profiles of blood cells from 103 patients with different severity levels of COVID-19 with that of 27 healthy and 22 influenza-infected individuals. Data provided a complete overview of SARS-CoV-2-induced immune signature, including a dramatic defect in IFN responses, a reduction of toxicity-related molecules in NK cells, an increased degranulation of neutrophils, a dysregulation of T cells, a dramatic increase in B cell function and immunoglobulin production, as well as an important over-expression of genes involved in metabolism and cell cycle in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 compared to those infected with influenza viruses. These features also differed according to COVID-19 severity. Overall and specific gene expression patterns across groups can be visualized on an interactive website (https://bix.unil.ch/covid/). Collectively, these transcriptomic host responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection are discussed in the context of current studies, thereby improving our understanding of COVID-19 pathogenesis and shaping the severity level of COVID-19.

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