Identification of immune correlates of fatal outcomes in critically ill COVID-19 patients.

Prior studies have demonstrated that immunologic dysfunction underpins severe illness in COVID-19 patients, but have lacked an in-depth analysis of the immunologic drivers of death in the most critically ill patients. We performed immunophenotyping of viral antigen-specific and unconventional T cell...

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Main Authors: Jonathan Youngs, Nicholas M Provine, Nicholas Lim, Hannah R Sharpe, Ali Amini, Yi-Ling Chen, Jian Luo, Matthew D Edmans, Panagiota Zacharopoulou, Wentao Chen, Oliver Sampson, Robert Paton, William J Hurt, David A Duncan, Anna L McNaughton, Vincent N Miao, Susannah Leaver, Duncan L A Wyncoll, Jonathan Ball, Philip Hopkins, Oxford Immunology Network Covid-19 response T cell Consortium, Oxford Protective T cell Immunology for COVID-19 (OPTIC) Clinical team, Donal T Skelly, Eleanor Barnes, Susanna Dunachie, Graham Ogg, Teresa Lambe, Ian Pavord, Alex K Shalek, Craig P Thompson, Luzheng Xue, Derek C Macallan, Philip Goulder, Paul Klenerman, Tihana Bicanic
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2021-09-01
Series:PLoS Pathogens
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1009804&type=printable
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author Jonathan Youngs
Nicholas M Provine
Nicholas Lim
Hannah R Sharpe
Ali Amini
Yi-Ling Chen
Jian Luo
Matthew D Edmans
Panagiota Zacharopoulou
Wentao Chen
Oliver Sampson
Robert Paton
William J Hurt
David A Duncan
Anna L McNaughton
Vincent N Miao
Susannah Leaver
Duncan L A Wyncoll
Jonathan Ball
Philip Hopkins
Oxford Immunology Network Covid-19 response T cell Consortium
Oxford Protective T cell Immunology for COVID-19 (OPTIC) Clinical team
Donal T Skelly
Eleanor Barnes
Susanna Dunachie
Graham Ogg
Teresa Lambe
Ian Pavord
Alex K Shalek
Craig P Thompson
Luzheng Xue
Derek C Macallan
Philip Goulder
Paul Klenerman
Tihana Bicanic
author_facet Jonathan Youngs
Nicholas M Provine
Nicholas Lim
Hannah R Sharpe
Ali Amini
Yi-Ling Chen
Jian Luo
Matthew D Edmans
Panagiota Zacharopoulou
Wentao Chen
Oliver Sampson
Robert Paton
William J Hurt
David A Duncan
Anna L McNaughton
Vincent N Miao
Susannah Leaver
Duncan L A Wyncoll
Jonathan Ball
Philip Hopkins
Oxford Immunology Network Covid-19 response T cell Consortium
Oxford Protective T cell Immunology for COVID-19 (OPTIC) Clinical team
Donal T Skelly
Eleanor Barnes
Susanna Dunachie
Graham Ogg
Teresa Lambe
Ian Pavord
Alex K Shalek
Craig P Thompson
Luzheng Xue
Derek C Macallan
Philip Goulder
Paul Klenerman
Tihana Bicanic
author_sort Jonathan Youngs
collection DOAJ
description Prior studies have demonstrated that immunologic dysfunction underpins severe illness in COVID-19 patients, but have lacked an in-depth analysis of the immunologic drivers of death in the most critically ill patients. We performed immunophenotyping of viral antigen-specific and unconventional T cell responses, neutralizing antibodies, and serum proteins in critically ill patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, using influenza infection, SARS-CoV-2-convalescent health care workers, and healthy adults as controls. We identify mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cell activation as an independent and significant predictor of death in COVID-19 (HR = 5.92, 95% CI = 2.49-14.1). MAIT cell activation correlates with several other mortality-associated immunologic measures including broad activation of CD8+ T cells and non-Vδ2 γδT cells, and elevated levels of cytokines and chemokines, including GM-CSF, CXCL10, CCL2, and IL-6. MAIT cell activation is also a predictor of disease severity in influenza (ECMO/death HR = 4.43, 95% CI = 1.08-18.2). Single-cell RNA-sequencing reveals a shift from focused IFNα-driven signals in COVID-19 ICU patients who survive to broad pro-inflammatory responses in fatal COVID-19 -a feature not observed in severe influenza. We conclude that fatal COVID-19 infection is driven by uncoordinated inflammatory responses that drive a hierarchy of T cell activation, elements of which can serve as prognostic indicators and potential targets for immune intervention.
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spelling doaj-art-ae2109d6ebeb4156b32fca8cdf3e35932025-08-20T02:33:18ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Pathogens1553-73661553-73742021-09-01179e100980410.1371/journal.ppat.1009804Identification of immune correlates of fatal outcomes in critically ill COVID-19 patients.Jonathan YoungsNicholas M ProvineNicholas LimHannah R SharpeAli AminiYi-Ling ChenJian LuoMatthew D EdmansPanagiota ZacharopoulouWentao ChenOliver SampsonRobert PatonWilliam J HurtDavid A DuncanAnna L McNaughtonVincent N MiaoSusannah LeaverDuncan L A WyncollJonathan BallPhilip HopkinsOxford Immunology Network Covid-19 response T cell ConsortiumOxford Protective T cell Immunology for COVID-19 (OPTIC) Clinical teamDonal T SkellyEleanor BarnesSusanna DunachieGraham OggTeresa LambeIan PavordAlex K ShalekCraig P ThompsonLuzheng XueDerek C MacallanPhilip GoulderPaul KlenermanTihana BicanicPrior studies have demonstrated that immunologic dysfunction underpins severe illness in COVID-19 patients, but have lacked an in-depth analysis of the immunologic drivers of death in the most critically ill patients. We performed immunophenotyping of viral antigen-specific and unconventional T cell responses, neutralizing antibodies, and serum proteins in critically ill patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, using influenza infection, SARS-CoV-2-convalescent health care workers, and healthy adults as controls. We identify mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cell activation as an independent and significant predictor of death in COVID-19 (HR = 5.92, 95% CI = 2.49-14.1). MAIT cell activation correlates with several other mortality-associated immunologic measures including broad activation of CD8+ T cells and non-Vδ2 γδT cells, and elevated levels of cytokines and chemokines, including GM-CSF, CXCL10, CCL2, and IL-6. MAIT cell activation is also a predictor of disease severity in influenza (ECMO/death HR = 4.43, 95% CI = 1.08-18.2). Single-cell RNA-sequencing reveals a shift from focused IFNα-driven signals in COVID-19 ICU patients who survive to broad pro-inflammatory responses in fatal COVID-19 -a feature not observed in severe influenza. We conclude that fatal COVID-19 infection is driven by uncoordinated inflammatory responses that drive a hierarchy of T cell activation, elements of which can serve as prognostic indicators and potential targets for immune intervention.https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1009804&type=printable
spellingShingle Jonathan Youngs
Nicholas M Provine
Nicholas Lim
Hannah R Sharpe
Ali Amini
Yi-Ling Chen
Jian Luo
Matthew D Edmans
Panagiota Zacharopoulou
Wentao Chen
Oliver Sampson
Robert Paton
William J Hurt
David A Duncan
Anna L McNaughton
Vincent N Miao
Susannah Leaver
Duncan L A Wyncoll
Jonathan Ball
Philip Hopkins
Oxford Immunology Network Covid-19 response T cell Consortium
Oxford Protective T cell Immunology for COVID-19 (OPTIC) Clinical team
Donal T Skelly
Eleanor Barnes
Susanna Dunachie
Graham Ogg
Teresa Lambe
Ian Pavord
Alex K Shalek
Craig P Thompson
Luzheng Xue
Derek C Macallan
Philip Goulder
Paul Klenerman
Tihana Bicanic
Identification of immune correlates of fatal outcomes in critically ill COVID-19 patients.
PLoS Pathogens
title Identification of immune correlates of fatal outcomes in critically ill COVID-19 patients.
title_full Identification of immune correlates of fatal outcomes in critically ill COVID-19 patients.
title_fullStr Identification of immune correlates of fatal outcomes in critically ill COVID-19 patients.
title_full_unstemmed Identification of immune correlates of fatal outcomes in critically ill COVID-19 patients.
title_short Identification of immune correlates of fatal outcomes in critically ill COVID-19 patients.
title_sort identification of immune correlates of fatal outcomes in critically ill covid 19 patients
url https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1009804&type=printable
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