Frontiers in Microbiology (Dec 2020)

Imaging Mass Cytometric Analysis of Postmortem Tissues Reveals Dysregulated Immune Cell and Cytokine Responses in Multiple Organs of COVID-19 Patients

  • Chong Wang,
  • Chong Wang,
  • Jiqian Xu,
  • Shaoyuan Wang,
  • Shangwen Pan,
  • Jiancheng Zhang,
  • Yang Han,
  • Yang Han,
  • Yang Han,
  • Muhan Huang,
  • Muhan Huang,
  • Di Wu,
  • Di Wu,
  • Qingyu Yang,
  • Xiaobo Yang,
  • Yang Yang,
  • Ting Shu,
  • Ting Shu,
  • Xiaojing Zou,
  • Ruiting Li,
  • Yufeng Luo,
  • Runqing Yao,
  • Yaxin Wang,
  • Yang Qiu,
  • Yang Qiu,
  • Yu Wang,
  • Ding-Yu Zhang,
  • Qun Yao,
  • Yongpan Yan,
  • Xi Zhou,
  • Xi Zhou,
  • Xi Zhou,
  • You Shang,
  • You Shang,
  • You Shang

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2020.600989
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11

Abstract

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SARS-coronavirus-2–induced immune dysregulation and inflammatory responses are involved in the pathogenesis of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). However, very little is known about immune cell and cytokine alterations in specific organs of COVID-19 patients. Here, we evaluated immune cells and cytokines in postmortem tissues, i.e., lungs, intestine, liver, kidneys, and spleen of three patients with COVID-19. Imaging mass cytometry revealed monocyte, macrophage, and dendritic cell (DC) infiltration in the lung, intestine, kidney, and liver tissues. Moreover, in patients with COVID-19, natural killer T cells infiltrated the liver, lungs, and intestine, whereas B cells infiltrated the kidneys, lungs, and intestine. CD11b+ macrophages and CD11c+ DCs also infiltrated the lungs and intestine, a phenomenon that was accompanied by overproduction of the immunosuppressive cytokine interleukin (IL)-10. However, CD11b+ macrophages and CD11c+ DCs in the lungs or intestine of COVID-19 patients did not express human leukocyte antigen DR isotype. In contrast, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α expression was higher in the lungs, intestine, liver, and kidneys, but not in the spleen, of all COVID-19 patients (compared to levels in controls). Collectively, these findings suggested that IL-10 and TNF-α as immunosuppressive and pro-inflammatory agents, respectively,—might be prognostic and could serve as therapeutic targets for COVID-19.

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