Longitudinal analysis reveals that delayed bystander CD8+ T cell activation and early immune pathology distinguish severe COVID-19 from mild disease

Journal article

The kinetics of the immune changes in COVID-19 across severity groups have not been rigorously assessed. Using immunophenotyping, RNA sequencing, and serum cytokine analysis, we analyzed serial samples from 207 SARS-CoV2-infected individuals with a range of disease severities over 12 weeks from symptom onset. An early robust bystander CD8+ T cell immune response, without systemic inflammation, characterized asymptomatic or mild disease. Hospitalized individuals had delayed bystander responses and systemic inflammation that was already evident near symptom onset, indicating that immunopathology may be inevitable in some individuals. Viral load did not correlate with this early pathological response but did correlate with subsequent disease severity. Immune recovery is complex, with profound persistent cellular abnormalities in severe disease correlating with altered inflammatory responses, with signatures associated with increased oxidative phosphorylation replacing those driven by cytokines tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin (IL)-6. These late immunometabolic and immune defects may have clinical implications.

Authors: Bergamaschi, L; Mescia, F; Turner, L; Hanson, AL; Kotagiri, P

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Cell Press
• Journal: Immunity
• Volume: 54
• Issue: 6
• Pages: 1257-1275.e8
• Publication date: 2021-05-16
• Acceptance date: 2021-05-11
• DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2021.05.010
• EISSN: 1097-4180
• ISSN: 1074-7613
• Pmid: 34051148
• Language: English
• Keywords: CD8-positive T-lymphocytes; reactive oxygen species; severity of illness index; complement; TNF-α; phenotype; inflammation mediators; biomarkers; oxidative phosphorylation; systemic inflammation; lymphocyte activation; SARS-CoV-2; longitudinal studies; disease susceptibility; prognosis; transcriptome; host-pathogen interactions; cytokines; bystander CD8+ T cell; COVID-19; gene expression profiling; Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease-National Institute of Health Research (CITIID-NIHR) COVID BioResource Collaboration; recovery; FFR; immune pathology; interferon