Clinical and experimental immunology
-
Clin. Exp. Immunol. · Aug 2021
Establishing the prevalence of common tissue-specific autoantibodies following severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection.
Coronavirus 19 (COVID-19) has been associated with both transient and persistent systemic symptoms that do not appear to be a direct consequence of viral infection. The generation of autoantibodies has been proposed as a mechanism to explain these symptoms. To understand the prevalence of autoantibodies associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, we investigated the frequency and specificity of clinically relevant autoantibodies in 84 individuals previously infected with SARS-CoV-2, suffering from COVID-19 of varying severity in both the acute and convalescent setting. ⋯ We demonstrate a higher frequency of autoantibodies in the COVID-19 ITU group compared with non-COVID-19 ITU disease control patients and that autoantibodies were also found in the serum 3-5 months post-COVID-19 infection. Non-COVID patients displayed a diverse pattern of autoantibodies; in contrast, the COVID-19 groups had a more restricted panel of autoantibodies including skin, skeletal muscle and cardiac antibodies. Our results demonstrate that respiratory viral infection with SARS-CoV-2 is associated with the detection of a limited profile of tissue-specific autoantibodies, detectable using routine clinical immunology assays. Further studies are required to determine whether these autoantibodies are specific to SARS-CoV-2 or a phenomenon arising from severe viral infections and to determine the clinical significance of these autoantibodies.
-
Clin. Exp. Immunol. · Jun 2021
ReviewInnate and adaptive immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 in humans: relevance to acquired immunity and vaccine responses.
The factors responsible for the spectrum of coronavirus 19 (COVID-19) disease severity and the genesis and nature of protective immunity against COVID-19 remain elusive. Multiple studies have investigated the immune responses to COVID-19 in various populations, including those without evidence of COVID-19 infection. Information regarding innate and adaptive immune responses to the novel severe respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has evolved rapidly. ⋯ In addition, long-term assessment of SARS-CoV-2 memory B and T cell-mediated immune responses in patients recovering from an infection or those with cross-reactive immunological memory will help to define risk for future SARS-CoV infections. Finally, patients recovering from SARS-CoV-2 infection may experience prolonged immune activation probably due to T cell exhaustion. This will be an important new frontier for study.
-
Clin. Exp. Immunol. · Nov 2020
Factors determining COVID-19 pneumonia severity in a country with routine BCG vaccination.
The impact of countries' bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination policies on the course of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak is a curiosity. In this study, the relationship between BCG vaccination status and severity of COVID-19 pneumonia and the factors affecting disease severity were investigated. ⋯ This study reveals that BCG vaccination is not associated with disease severity in COVID-19 pneumonia. Age and low income are the main determinants of severe COVID-19 pneumonia.
-
Clin. Exp. Immunol. · Nov 2020
Characteristics and roles of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2-specific antibodies in patients with different severities of coronavirus 19.
The diagnosis of coronavirus 19 (COVID-19) relies mainly upon viral nucleic acid detection, but false negatives can lead to missed diagnosis and misdiagnosis; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-specific antibody detection is convenient, safe and highly sensitive. Immunoglobulin (Ig)M and IgG are commonly used to serologically diagnose COVID-19; however, the role of IgA is not well known. We aimed to quantify the levels of SARS-CoV-2-specific IgM, IgA and IgG antibodies, identify changes in them based on COVID-19 severity, and establish the significance of combined antibody detection. ⋯ Detection of SARS-CoV-2-specific combined IgA-IgG antibodies is advantageous in diagnosing COVID-19. IgA detection is suitable during early and late stages of the disease. IgA and IgG levels correspond to disease severity.
-
Clin. Exp. Immunol. · Jul 2020
Using IL-2R/lymphocytes for predicting the clinical progression of patients with COVID-19.
Effective laboratory markers for the estimation of disease severity and predicting the clinical progression of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is urgently needed. Laboratory tests, including blood routine, cytokine profiles and infection markers, were collected from 389 confirmed COVID-19 patients. The included patients were classified into mild (n = 168), severe (n = 169) and critical groups (n = 52). ⋯ Moreover, the cytokine profiles and IL-2R/lymphocytes were significantly decreased in recovered patients, but further increased in disease-deteriorated patients, which might be correlated with the outcome of COVID-19. Lymphopenia and increased levels of cytokines were closely associated with disease severity. The IL-2R/lymphocyte was a prominent biomarker for early identification of severe COVID-19 and predicting the clinical progression of the disease.