Frontiers in Immunology (Nov 2021)

Data-Driven Analysis of COVID-19 Reveals Persistent Immune Abnormalities in Convalescent Severe Individuals

  • Jackwee Lim,
  • Kia Joo Puan,
  • Liang Wei Wang,
  • Karen Wei Weng Teng,
  • Chiew Yee Loh,
  • Kim Peng Tan,
  • Guillaume Carissimo,
  • Guillaume Carissimo,
  • Yi-Hao Chan,
  • Yi-Hao Chan,
  • Chek Meng Poh,
  • Chek Meng Poh,
  • Cheryl Yi-Pin Lee,
  • Cheryl Yi-Pin Lee,
  • Siew-Wai Fong,
  • Siew-Wai Fong,
  • Siew-Wai Fong,
  • Nicholas Kim-Wah Yeo,
  • Nicholas Kim-Wah Yeo,
  • Rhonda Sin-Ling Chee,
  • Rhonda Sin-Ling Chee,
  • Siti Naqiah Amrun,
  • Siti Naqiah Amrun,
  • Zi Wei Chang,
  • Zi Wei Chang,
  • Matthew Zirui Tay,
  • Matthew Zirui Tay,
  • Anthony Torres-Ruesta,
  • Anthony Torres-Ruesta,
  • Anthony Torres-Ruesta,
  • Norman Leo Fernandez,
  • Wilson How,
  • Anand Kumar Andiappan,
  • Wendy Lee,
  • Kaibo Duan,
  • Seow-Yen Tan,
  • Gabriel Yan,
  • Shirin Kalimuddin,
  • Shirin Kalimuddin,
  • David Chien Lye,
  • David Chien Lye,
  • David Chien Lye,
  • David Chien Lye,
  • Yee-Sin Leo,
  • Yee-Sin Leo,
  • Yee-Sin Leo,
  • Yee-Sin Leo,
  • Yee-Sin Leo,
  • Sean W. X. Ong,
  • Sean W. X. Ong,
  • Barnaby E. Young,
  • Barnaby E. Young,
  • Barnaby E. Young,
  • Laurent Renia,
  • Laurent Renia,
  • Lisa F. P. Ng,
  • Lisa F. P. Ng,
  • Lisa F. P. Ng,
  • Lisa F. P. Ng,
  • Bernett Lee,
  • Olaf Rötzschke

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2021.710217
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12

Abstract

Read online

Severe SARS-CoV-2 infection can trigger uncontrolled innate and adaptive immune responses, which are commonly associated with lymphopenia and increased neutrophil counts. However, whether the immune abnormalities observed in mild to severely infected patients persist into convalescence remains unclear. Herein, comparisons were drawn between the immune responses of COVID-19 infected and convalescent adults. Strikingly, survivors of severe COVID-19 had decreased proportions of NKT and Vδ2 T cells, and increased proportions of low-density neutrophils, IgA+/CD86+/CD123+ non-classical monocytes and hyperactivated HLADR+CD38+ CD8+ T cells, and elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as hepatocyte growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor A, long after virus clearance. Our study suggests potential immune correlates of “long COVID-19”, and defines key cells and cytokines that delineate true and quasi-convalescent states.

Keywords