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. 2020 Jun;7(6):998-1002.
doi: 10.1093/nsr/nwaa041. Epub 2020 Mar 13.

Pathogenic T-cells and inflammatory monocytes incite inflammatory storms in severe COVID-19 patients

Yonggang Zhou  1 , Binqing Fu  1 , Xiaohu Zheng  1 , Dongsheng Wang  2 , Changcheng Zhao  2 , Yingjie Qi  2 , Rui Sun  1 , Zhigang Tian  1 , Xiaoling Xu  2 , Haiming Wei  1
Affiliations

Pathogenic T-cells and inflammatory monocytes incite inflammatory storms in severe COVID-19 patients

Yonggang Zhou et al. Natl Sci Rev. 2020 Jun.
No abstract available

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Pathogenic Th1 cells with high expression of GM-CSF in COVID-19 patients. (A) Representative density plots showing an analysis of GM-CSF and IL-6 expressions in gated CD45+CD3+CD4+ T-cells (gating strategy shown in Supplementary Fig. 2a) isolated from peripheral blood in healthy controls, ICU and non-ICU patients of COVID-19. (B) Representative density plots showing an analysis of co-expression of GM-CSF and IFN-γ in gated CD45+CD3+CD4+ T-cells isolated from peripheral blood in healthy controls, ICU and non-ICU patients of COVID-19. (C) Statistics calculated by the percentage of GM-CSF+ or IL-6+ cells from CD4+ T-cells. (D) Statistics calculated by the percentage of GM-CSF+ and IFN-γ+ co-expressing CD4+ T-cells. Data represent the mean ± SEM. One-way ANOVA. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Inflammatory monocytes with high expression of IL-6 in COVID-19 patients. (A) Representative density plots showing an analysis of CD14 and CD16 expressions in gated CD45+ monocytes (gating strategy shown in Supplementary Fig. 2a) isolated from peripheral blood in healthy controls, ICU and non-ICU patients of COVID-19. (B) Representative density plots showing an analysis of GM-CSF and IL-6 expressions in gated CD45+CD14+ monocyte cells isolated from peripheral blood in healthy controls, ICU and non-ICU patients of COVID-19. (C) Statistics calculated by the percentage of CD14+CD16+ subsets from monocytes. (D) Statistics calculated by the percentage of GM-CSF+ or IL-6+ cells from CD14+ monocytes. (E) Statistics calculated by the cell number of GM-CSF+ CD14+ or IL-6+CD14+ monocytes. Data represent the mean ± SEM. One-way ANOVA. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Pathogenic Th1 cells and inflammatory monocytes in severe COVID-19. Pathogenic CD4+ Th1 (GM-CSF+IFN-γ+) cells were rapidly activated to produce GM-CSF and other inflammatory cytokines to form a cascade signature of inflammatory monocytes (CD14+CD16+ with high expression of IL-6) and their progeny. These activated immune cells may enter the pulmonary circulation in large numbers and played an immune-damaging role in severe-pulmonary-syndrome patients. The monoclonal antibodies that target the GM-CSF or interleukin-6 receptor may potentially prevent or curb immunopathology caused by COVID-19.
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