Manuscript Detail

Title: A granulocytic signature identifies COVID-19 and its severity
Authors: Vitte, Joana et al
Abstract: BACKGROUND: An unbiased approach of SARS-CoV-2-induced immune dysregulation has not been undertaken so far. We aimed to identify previously unreported immune markers able to discriminate COVID-19 patients from healthy controls and to predict mild and severe disease. METHODS: An observational, prospective, multicentric study was conducted in patients with confirmed COVID-19: mild/moderate (n=7) and severe (n=19). Immunophenotyping of whole blood leukocytes was performed in patients upon hospital ward or intensive care unit admission and in healthy controls (n=25). Clinically relevant associations were identified through unsupervised analysis. RESULTS: Granulocytic (neutrophil, eosinophil and basophil) markers were enriched during COVID-19 and discriminated between mild and severe patients. Increased counts of CD15 +CD16 + neutrophils, decreased granulocytic expression of integrin CD11b, and Th2-related CRTH2 downregulation in eosinophils and basophils established a COVID-19 signature. Severity was associated with the emergence of PDL1 checkpoint expression in basophils and eosinophils. This granulocytic signature was accompanied by monocyte and lymphocyte immunoparalysis. Correlation with validated clinical scores supported pathophysiological relevance. CONCLUSION: Phenotypic markers of circulating granulocytes are strong discriminators between infected and uninfected individuals as well as between severity stages. COVID-19 alters the frequency and functional phenotypes of granulocyte subsets with the emergence of CRTH2 as a disease biomarker.
Journal: J. infect. dis
Curator: Hancock Lab
Reviewer: Aris Floratos
Author-provided data: ?

paper: Vitte, J., Diallo, A. B., Boumaza, A., Lopez, A., Michel, M., Allardet-Servent, J., Mezouar, S., Sereme, Y., Busnel, J. M., Miloud, T., Malergue, F., Morange, P. E., Halfon, P., Olive, D., Leone, M., & Mege, J. L. (2020). A Granulocytic Signature Identifies COVID-19 and Its Severity. The Journal of infectious diseases, 222(12), 1985–1996. https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiaa591
contributor: Marc Leone
contributor_organization: Aix-Marseille University
contributor_email: marc.leone@ap-hm.fr

 

    • description: Increased counts of CD15+CD16+ neutrophils
    • exact_source: Figure 1
    • tissue: Whole blood neutrophils
    • immune_exposure:
    • cohort: adults median age 66
    • comparison: severe vs mild infection vs healthy donors at 1-day and 10-day post-infection
    • repository_id:
    • platform:
    • response_components:
    • response_behavior: up
        • description: decreased granulocytic expression of integrin CD11b
        • exact_source: Figure 1
        • tissue: Whole blood granulocytes
        • immune_exposure:
        • cohort: adults median age 66
        • comparison: severe vs mild infection vs healthy donors at 1-day and 10-day post-infection
        • repository_id:
        • platform:
        • response_components:
        • response_behavior: down
            • description: CRTH2 downregulation in eosinophils and basophils
            • exact_source: Figure 1
            • tissue: Whole blood eosinophils and basophils
            • immune_exposure:
            • cohort: adults median age 66
            • comparison: severe vs mild infection vs healthy donors at 1-day and 10-day post-infection
            • repository_id:
            • platform:
            • response_components:
            • response_behavior: down
                • description: emergence of PD-L1 checkpoint expression in basophils and eosinophils
                • exact_source: Figure 2
                • tissue: Whole blood eosinophils and basophils
                • immune_exposure:
                • cohort: adults median age 66
                • comparison: severe vs mild infection
                • repository_id:
                • platform:
                • response_components:
                • response_behavior: up