Data-Driven Analysis of COVID-19 Reveals Persistent Immune Abnormalities in Convalescent Severe Individuals
Jackwee Lim, Kia Joo Puan, Liang Wei Wang, Karen Wei Weng Teng, Chiew Yee Loh, Kim Peng Tan, Guillaume Carissimo, Yi‐Hao Chan, Chek Meng Poh, Cheryl Yi‐Pin Lee, Siew‐Wai Fong, Nicholas Kim‐Wah Yeo, Rhonda Sin‐Ling Chee, Siti Naqiah Amrun, Zi Wei Chang, Matthew Zirui Tay, Anthony Torres‐Ruesta, Norman Leo Fernandez, Wilson How, Anand Kumar Andiappan, Wendy Lee, Kaibo Duan, Seow Yen Tan, Gabriel Yan, Shirin Kalimuddin, David Chien Lye, Yee‐Sin Leo, Sean Wei Xiang Ong, Barnaby Edward Young, Laurent Rénia, Lisa F. P. Ng, Bernett Lee, Olaf Rötzschke
Abstract
Severe SARS-CoV-2 infection can trigger uncontrolled innate and adaptive immune responses, which are commonly associated with lymphopenia and increased neutrophil counts. However, whether the immune abnormalities observed in mild to severely infected patients persist into convalescence remains unclear. Herein, comparisons were drawn between the immune responses of COVID-19 infected and convalescent adults. Strikingly, survivors of severe COVID-19 had decreased proportions of NKT and Vδ2 T cells, and increased proportions of low-density neutrophils, IgA+/CD86+/CD123+ non-classical monocytes and hyperactivated HLADR+CD38+ CD8+ T cells, and elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as hepatocyte growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor A, long after virus clearance. Our study suggests potential immune correlates of "long COVID-19", and defines key cells and cytokines that delineate true and quasi-convalescent states.