Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Walter, Laura Otto
• Cardoso, Chandra Chiappin
• Santos‐Pirath, Íris Mattos
• Costa, Heloisa Zorzi
• Gartner, Rafaela
• Werle, Isabel
• Mohr, Eduarda Talita Bramorski
• Rosa, Julia Salvan
• Lubschinski, Tainá Larissa
• Felisberto, Mariano
• Kretzer, Iara Fabricia
• Masukawa, Ivete Ioshiko
• Vanny, Patrícia de Almeida
• Luiz, Magali Chaves
• Moraes, Ana Carolina Rabello
• Dalmarco, Eduardo Monguilhott
• Santos‐Silva, Maria Cláudia

Titel

T cell maturation is significantly affected by SARS‐CoV‐2 infection

Ist Teil von

• Immunology, 2023-07, Vol.169 (3), p.358-368

Ort / Verlag

England: Wiley Subscription Services, Inc

Erscheinungsjahr

2023

Quelle

Wiley-Blackwell Full Collection

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) is a respiratory tract infection caused by the new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2). An adequate T cell response is essential not only for fighting disease but also for the creation of immune memory. Thus, the present study aims to evaluate the T cells of patients with moderate, severe and critical COVID‐19 not only at the time of illness but also 2 months after diagnosis to observe whether changes in this compartment persist. In this study, 166 COVID‐19 patients were stratified into moderate/severe and critical disease categories. The maturation and activation of T cells were evaluated through flow cytometry. In addition, Treg cells were analysed. Until 15 days after diagnosis, patients presented a reduction in absolute and relative T lymphocyte counts. After 2 months, in moderate/severe patients, the counts returned to a similar level as that of the control group. In convalescent patients who had a critical illness, absolute T lymphocyte values increased considerably. Patients with active disease did not show differentiation of T cells. Nonetheless, after 2 months, patients with critical COVID‐19 showed a significant increase in CD4+ EMRA (CD45RA+ effector memory) T lymphocytes. Furthermore, COVID‐19 patients showed delayed T cell activation and reduced CD8+ suppressor T cells even 2 months after diagnosis. A reduction in CD4+ Treg cells was also observed, and their numbers returned to a similar level as that of healthy controls in convalescent patients. The results demonstrate that COVID‐19 patients have a delayed activation and differentiation of T cells. In addition, these patients have a great reduction of T cells with a suppressor phenotype. The results of this study demonstrate that patients with COVID‐19 have a delayed activation and differentiation of T cells. In addition, these patients have a great reduction of T cells with a suppressor phenotype. Our results represent the natural course of the disease without interference from the effect of the vaccine on the immune response since the patients included in this study did not receive any dose of the vaccine. This contributes to the understanding of the pathophysiology of the disease, in addition to helping in future studies on T‐cell‐mediated immunity.