TY - JOUR
AU - Shuwa, Halima A.
AU - Shaw, Tovah N.
AU - Knight, Sean B.
AU - Wemyss, Kelly
AU - McClure, Flora A.
AU - Pearmain, Laurence
AU - Prise, Ian
AU - Jagger, Christopher
AU - Morgan, David J
AU - Khan, Saba
AU - Brand, Oliver
AU - Mann, Elizabeth R.
AU - Ustianowski, Andrew
AU - Bakerly, Nawar Diar
AU - Dark, Paul
AU - Brightling, Christopher E.
AU - Brij, Seema
AU - Felton, Timothy
AU - Simpson, Angela
AU - Grainger, John R.
AU - Hussell, Tracy
AU - Konkel, Joanne E.
AU - Menon, Madhvi
PY - 2021
DA - June
TI - Alterations in T and B cell function persist in convalescent COVID-19 patients
JO - Med
EP - 735
VL - 2
IS - 6
DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.medj.2021.03.013
AB - Background Emerging studies indicate that some COVID-19 patients suffer from persistent symptoms including breathlessness and chronic fatigue; however the long-term immune response in these patients presently remains ill-defined. Methods Here we describe the phenotypic and functional characteristics of B and T cells in hospitalised COVID-19 patients during acute disease and at 3-6 months of convalescence. Findings We report that the alterations in B cell subsets observed in acute COVID-19 patients were largely recovered in convalescent patients. In contrast, T cells from convalescent patients displayed continued alterations with persistence of a cytotoxic programme evident in CD8+ T cells as well as elevated production of type-1 cytokines and IL-17. Interestingly, B cells from patients with acute COVID-19 displayed an IL-6/IL-10 cytokine imbalance in response to toll-like receptor activation, skewed towards a pro-inflammatory phenotype. Whereas the frequency of IL-6+ B cells was restored in convalescent patients irrespective of clinical outcome, recovery of IL-10+ B cells was associated with resolution of lung pathology. Conclusions Our data detail lymphocyte alterations in previously hospitalized COVID-19 patients up to 6 months following hospital discharge and identify 3 subgroups of convalescent patients based on distinct lymphocyte phenotypes, with one subgroup associated with poorer clinical outcome. We propose that alterations in B and T cell function following hospitalisation with COVID-19 could impact longer term immunity and contribute to some persistent symptoms observed in convalescent COVID-19 patients.
PB - Elsevier
UR - https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/en/publications/bb6608a9-a1e2-4f82-b861-0aceac9047c9
KW - Coronavirus (COVID-19)
ER