Innate immune response in COVID-19: single-cell multi-omics profile of NK lymphocytes in a clinical case series.

Innate immune response in COVID-19: single-cell multi-omics profile of NK lymphocytes in a clinical case series.

Publication date: Oct 15, 2024

COVID-19 pandemic caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) represents the biggest global health emergency in recent decades. The host immune response to SARS-CoV-2 seems to play a key role in disease pathogenesis and clinical manifestations, with Natural Killer (NK) lymphocytes being among the targets of virus-induced regulation. This study performed a single-cell multi-omics analysis of transcripts and proteins of NK lymphocytes in COVID-19 patients, for the characterization of the innate immunological response to infection. NK cells were isolated from peripheral blood samples collected from adult subjects divided into 3 study groups: (1) non-infected subjects (NacEFve group, n = 3), (2) post COVID-19 convalescent subjects (Healed group, n = 3) and (3) patients that were vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 (Vaccine group, n = 3). Cells were then analysed by the BD Rhapsody System for the single-cell multi-omics investigation of transcriptome and membrane proteins. The bioinformatic analysis identified 5 cell clusters which differentially expressed gene/protein markers, defining NK cell subsets as “Active NK cells” and “Mature NK cells”. Calculating the relative proportion of each cluster within patient groups, more than 40% of the NacEFve group cell population was found to belong to Mature NKs, whereas more than 75% of the Vaccine group cell population belonged to the cluster of Active NKs. Regarding the Healed group, it seemed to show intermediate phenotype between Active and Mature NK cells. Differential expression of specific genes, proteins and signaling pathways was detected comparing the profile of the 3 experimental groups, revealing a more activated NK cell phenotype in vaccinated patients versus recovered individuals. The present study detected differential expression of NK cell markers in relation to SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccine administration, suggesting the possibility to identify key molecular targets for clinical-diagnostic use of the individual response to viral infection and/or re-infection.

Open Access PDF

Concepts Keywords
Bioinformatic Adult
Coronavirus BD Rhapsody system
Decades COVID-19
Healed COVID-19
Killer Female
Humans
Immunity, Innate
Innate immune response
Killer Cells, Natural
Male
Middle Aged
Multiomics
Natural killer lymphocytes
SARS-CoV-2
Single-Cell Analysis
Single-cell multi-omics analysis
Transcriptome

Original Article

(Visited 3 times, 1 visits today)