A single-cell atlas of the peripheral immune response to severe COVID-19.
Aaron J WilkArjun RustagiNancy Q ZhaoJonasel RoqueGiovanny J Martinez-ColonJulia L McKechnieGeoffrey T IvisonThanmayi RanganathRosemary VergaraTaylor HollisLaura J SimpsonPhilip GrantAruna SubramanianAngela J RogersCatherine A BlishPublished in: medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences (2020)
There is an urgent need to better understand the pathophysiology of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the global pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2. Here, we apply single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 7 patients hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 and 6 healthy controls. We identify substantial reconfiguration of peripheral immune cell phenotype in COVID-19, including a heterogeneous interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) signature, HLA class II downregulation, and a novel B cell-derived granulocyte population appearing in patients with acute respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation. Importantly, peripheral monocytes and lymphocytes do not express substantial amounts of pro-inflammatory cytokines, suggesting that circulating leukocytes do not significantly contribute to the potential COVID-19 cytokine storm. Collectively, we provide the most thorough cell atlas to date of the peripheral immune response to severe COVID-19.
Keyphrases
- coronavirus disease
- sars cov
- single cell
- respiratory syndrome coronavirus
- rna seq
- mechanical ventilation
- respiratory failure
- immune response
- peripheral blood
- high throughput
- end stage renal disease
- chronic kidney disease
- intensive care unit
- dendritic cells
- ejection fraction
- dna methylation
- newly diagnosed
- acute respiratory distress syndrome
- extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
- signaling pathway
- transcription factor
- drug induced
- peritoneal dialysis
- climate change
- patient reported outcomes