Reappearance of Effector T Cells Predicts Successful Recovery from COVID-19

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paper: Odak, I., Barros-Martins, J., Bošnjak, B., Stahl, K., David, S., Wiesner, O., ... & Schultze-Florey, C. R. (2020). Reappearance of effector T cells is associated with recovery from COVID-19. EBioMedicine, 57, 102885.
contributor: Christian Schultze-Florey
contributor_organization: Hannover Medical School
contributor_email: schultze-florey.christian@mh-hannover.de

 

    • description: Absolute numbers of lymphocyte subsets were differentially decreased in COVID-19 patients according to clinical severity. In severe disease (SD) patients, all lymphocyte subsets were reduced, whilst in mild disease (MD) NK, NKT and GD T cells were at the level of HC. Additionally, we provide evidence of T cell activation in MD but not SD, when compared to HC. Follow up samples revealed a marked increase in effector T cells and memory subsets in convalescing but not in non-convalescing patients. Understanding T cell-responses in the context of clinical severity might serve as foundation to overcome the lack of effective anti-viral immune response in severely affected COVID-19 patients and can offer prognostic value as biomarker for disease outcome and control.
    • exact_source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/core/lw/2.0/html/tileshop_pmc/tileshop_pmc_inline.html?title=Click%20on%20image%20to%20zoom&p=PMC3&id=7341361_gr2.jpg
    • tissue: Whole blood
    • immune_exposure: SARS-CoV-2 infection
    • cohort: Adults and age/sex matched healthy controls
    • comparison: Severe vs Mild COVID-19; reconvalescing vs non-reconvalescing patients
    • repository_id:
    • platform:
    • response_components:
    • response_behavior:

 

PMID
32650275
authors
Odak, Ivan et al
abstract
Background: Elucidating the role of T cell responses in COVID-19 is of utmost importance to understand the clearance of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: 90 individuals were enrolled in this study, 30 hospitalized COVID-19 patients and 60 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (HC). Using two comprehensive 11-color flow cytometric panels conforming to Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and approved for clinical diagnostics, we longitudinally examined cell count differences in lymphocyte populations and T cell activation in COVID-19 patients. Findings: Absolute numbers of lymphocyte subsets were differentially decreased in COVID-19 patients according to clinical severity. In severe disease (SD) patients, all lymphocyte subsets were reduced, whilst in mild disease (MD) NK, NKT and {gamma}{delta} T cells were at the level of HC. Additionally, we provide evidence of T cell activation in MD but not SD, when compared to HC. Interestingly, follow up samples revealed a marked increase in effector T cells and memory subsets in convalescing but not in non-convalescing patients. Interpretation: Our data suggest that activation and expansion of innate and adaptive lymphocytes play a major role in COVID-19. Additionally, recovery is associated with formation of T cell memory as suggested by the missing formation of effector and central memory T cells in SD but not in MD. Our data imply that the presence of SARS-CoV-2 responsive T cells contributes to convalescence in MD. Thus, understanding the T cell-response in the context of clinical severity might serve as foundation to overcome the lack of effective anti-viral immune response in severely affected COVID-19 patients and can offer prognostic value as biomarker for disease outcome and control.
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reviewer
date curation completed
date review completed
year of publication
2020
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