Neutrophil extracellular traps contribute to immunothrombosis in COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome
- PMID: 32597954
- PMCID: PMC7472714
- DOI: 10.1182/blood.2020007008
Neutrophil extracellular traps contribute to immunothrombosis in COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome
Abstract
COVID-19 affects millions of patients worldwide, with clinical presentation ranging from isolated thrombosis to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) requiring ventilator support. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) originate from decondensed chromatin released to immobilize pathogens, and they can trigger immunothrombosis. We studied the connection between NETs and COVID-19 severity and progression. We conducted a prospective cohort study of COVID-19 patients (n = 33) and age- and sex-matched controls (n = 17). We measured plasma myeloperoxidase (MPO)-DNA complexes (NETs), platelet factor 4, RANTES, and selected cytokines. Three COVID-19 lung autopsies were examined for NETs and platelet involvement. We assessed NET formation ex vivo in COVID-19 neutrophils and in healthy neutrophils incubated with COVID-19 plasma. We also tested the ability of neonatal NET-inhibitory factor (nNIF) to block NET formation induced by COVID-19 plasma. Plasma MPO-DNA complexes increased in COVID-19, with intubation (P < .0001) and death (P < .0005) as outcome. Illness severity correlated directly with plasma MPO-DNA complexes (P = .0360), whereas Pao2/fraction of inspired oxygen correlated inversely (P = .0340). Soluble and cellular factors triggering NETs were significantly increased in COVID-19, and pulmonary autopsies confirmed NET-containing microthrombi with neutrophil-platelet infiltration. Finally, COVID-19 neutrophils ex vivo displayed excessive NETs at baseline, and COVID-19 plasma triggered NET formation, which was blocked by nNIF. Thus, NETs triggering immunothrombosis may, in part, explain the prothrombotic clinical presentations in COVID-19, and NETs may represent targets for therapeutic intervention.
Conflict of interest statement
Conflict-of-interest disclosure: C.C.Y. has received grant funding from PEEL Therapeutics, Inc. during the conduct of this study. In addition, C.C.Y. authored a United States patent (patent no. 10 232023 B2) held by the University of Utah for the use of NET-inhibitory peptides for the “treatment of and prophylaxis against inflammatory disorders,” for which PEEL Therapeutics, Inc. holds the exclusive license. A.I. and L.M.A. are consultants and stock option holders of PEEL Therapeutics, Inc., and A.F.C. and J.D.S. are employees and stock option holders of PEEL Therapeutics, Inc. The remaining authors declare no competing financial interests.
Figures
Similar articles
-
A NET-thrombosis axis in COVID-19.Blood. 2020 Sep 3;136(10):1118-1119. doi: 10.1182/blood.2020007951. Blood. 2020. PMID: 32882018 Free PMC article.
-
Immunothrombotic Dysregulation in COVID-19 Pneumonia Is Associated With Respiratory Failure and Coagulopathy.Circulation. 2020 Sep 22;142(12):1176-1189. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.120.048488. Epub 2020 Jul 28. Circulation. 2020. PMID: 32755393 Free PMC article.
-
Complement and tissue factor-enriched neutrophil extracellular traps are key drivers in COVID-19 immunothrombosis.J Clin Invest. 2020 Nov 2;130(11):6151-6157. doi: 10.1172/JCI141374. J Clin Invest. 2020. PMID: 32759504 Free PMC article. Clinical Trial.
-
NETosis and Neutrophil Extracellular Traps in COVID-19: Immunothrombosis and Beyond.Front Immunol. 2022 Mar 2;13:838011. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.838011. eCollection 2022. Front Immunol. 2022. PMID: 35309344 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs) in Severe SARS-CoV-2 Lung Disease.Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Aug 17;22(16):8854. doi: 10.3390/ijms22168854. Int J Mol Sci. 2021. PMID: 34445556 Free PMC article. Review.
Cited by
-
Association of corticosteroid therapy with reduced acute kidney injury and lower NET markers in severe COVID-19: an observational study.Intensive Care Med Exp. 2024 Sep 28;12(1):85. doi: 10.1186/s40635-024-00670-3. Intensive Care Med Exp. 2024. PMID: 39340756
-
Neutrophil extracellular traps in homeostasis and disease.Signal Transduct Target Ther. 2024 Sep 20;9(1):235. doi: 10.1038/s41392-024-01933-x. Signal Transduct Target Ther. 2024. PMID: 39300084 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Immunothrombosis: A bibliometric analysis from 2003 to 2023.Medicine (Baltimore). 2024 Sep 13;103(37):e39566. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000039566. Medicine (Baltimore). 2024. PMID: 39287275 Free PMC article.
-
Multiple site inflammation and acute kidney injury in crush syndrome.Front Pharmacol. 2024 Aug 30;15:1458997. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1458997. eCollection 2024. Front Pharmacol. 2024. PMID: 39281284 Free PMC article.
-
Extracellular Vesicle microRNA: A Promising Biomarker and Therapeutic Target for Respiratory Diseases.Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Aug 23;25(17):9147. doi: 10.3390/ijms25179147. Int J Mol Sci. 2024. PMID: 39273095 Free PMC article. Review.
References
-
- Emanuel EJ, Persad G, Upshur R, et al. . Fair allocation of scarce medical resources in the time of Covid-19. N Engl J Med. 2020;382(21):2049-2055. - PubMed
-
- Manne BK, Denome F, Middleton EA, et al. . Platelet gene expression and function in COVID-19 patients [published online ahead of print 20 Jun 2020]. Blood.
MeSH terms
Substances
Grants and funding
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
Medical
Research Materials
Miscellaneous