Clin Transl Immunology . Increased IL-10-producing regulatory T cells are characteristic of severe cases of COVID-19

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Clin Transl Immunology


. 2020 Nov 13;9(11):e1204.
doi: 10.1002/cti2.1204. eCollection 2020.
Increased IL-10-producing regulatory T cells are characteristic of severe cases of COVID-19


Julika Neumann ^{1 2} , Teresa Prezzemolo ^{1 2} , Lore Vanderbeke ^{2 3} , Carlos P Roca ⁴ , Margaux Gerbaux ^{2 5} , Silke Janssens ^{1 2} , Mathijs Willemsen ^{1 2} , Oliver Burton ⁴ , Pierre Van Mol ^{3 6} , Yannick Van Herck ³ , CONTAGIOUS co‐authors; Joost Wauters ³ , Els Wauters ³ , Adrian Liston ^{1 2 4} , Stephanie Humblet-Baron ²



Collaborators, Affiliations

• PMID: 33209300
• PMCID: PMC7662088
• DOI: 10.1002/cti2.1204

Abstract

Objectives: The pandemic spread of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is due, in part, to the immunological properties of the host-virus interaction. The clinical presentation varies from individual to individual, with asymptomatic carriers, mild-to-moderate-presenting patients and severely affected patients. Variation in immune response to SARS-CoV-2 may underlie this clinical variation.
Methods: Using a high-dimensional systems immunology platform, we have analysed the peripheral blood compartment of 6 healthy individuals, 23 mild-to-moderate and 20 severe COVID-19 patients.
Results: We identify distinct immunological signatures in the peripheral blood of the mild-to-moderate and severe COVID-19 patients, including T-cell lymphopenia, more consistent with peripheral hypo- than hyper-immune activation. Unique to the severe COVID-19 cases was a large increase in the proportion of IL-10-secreting regulatory T cells, a lineage known to possess anti-inflammatory properties in the lung.
Conclusion: As IL-10-secreting regulatory T cells are known to possess anti-inflammatory properties in the lung, their proportional increase could contribute to a more severe COVID-19 phenotype. We openly provide annotated data (https://flowrepository.org/experiments/2713) with clinical correlates as a systems immunology resource for the COVID-19 research community.

Keywords: COVID‐19; IL‐10; SARS‐CoV‐2; T regulatory cells; open resource; systems immunology.