Immunological Signatures in Blood and Urine in 80 Individuals Hospitalized during the Initial Phase of COVID-19 Pandemic with Quantified Nicotine Exposure

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences 2024-04, Vol.25 (7), p.3714
• Main Authors: Laudanski, Krzysztof, Mahmoud, Mohamed A, Ahmed, Ahmed Sayed, Susztak, Kaitlin, Mathew, Amal, Chen, James
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chemokines; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Cigarettes; Clinical outcomes; Cotinine; COVID-19; Cytokine storm; Electronic health records; HMGB1 Protein; Humans; Hypertension; Immune system; Immunoglobulin A; Immunoglobulin G; Immunoglobulin M; immunological response; Immunology; Infections; Inflammation; Lung diseases, Obstructive; Lungs; Mortality; Nicotine; nicotine exposure; Pandemics; Pathogens; Protease inhibitors; Proteins; SARS-CoV-2; Self report; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Smoking; spike protein; Tobacco; Urine
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms25073714

This research analyzes immunological response patterns to SARS-CoV-2 infection in blood and urine in individuals with serum cotinine-confirmed exposure to nicotine. Samples of blood and urine were obtained from a total of 80 patients admitted to hospital within 24 h of admission (t ), 48 h later (t ), and 7 days later (t ) if patients remained hospitalized or at discharge. Serum cotinine above 3.75 ng/mL was deemed as biologically significant exposure to nicotine. Viral load was measured with serum SARS-CoV-2 S-spike protein. Titer of IgG, IgA, and IgM against S- and N-protein assessed specific antiviral responses. Cellular destruction was measured by high mobility group box protein-1 (HMGB-1) serum levels and heat shock protein 60 (Hsp-60). Serum interleukin 6 (IL-6), and ferritin gauged non-specific inflammation. The immunological profile was assessed with O-link. Serum titers of IgA were lower at t in smokers vs. nonsmokers ( = 0.0397). IgM at t was lower in cotinine-positive individuals ( = 0.0188). IgG did not differ between cotinine-positive and negative individuals. HMGB-1 at admission was elevated in cotinine positive individuals. Patients with positive cotinine did not exhibit increased markers of non-specific inflammation and tissue destruction. The blood immunological profile had distinctive differences at admission (MIC A/B↓), 48 h (CCL19↓, MCP-3↓, CD28↑, CD8↓, IFNγ↓, IL-12↓, GZNB↓, MIC A/B↓) or 7 days (CD28↓) in the cotinine-positive group. The urine immunological profile showed a profile with minimal overlap with blood as the following markers being affected at t (CCL20↑, CXCL5↑, CD8↑, IL-12↑, MIC A/B↑, GZNH↑, TNFRS14↑), t (CCL20↓, TRAIL↓) and t (EGF↑, ADA↑) in patients with a cotinine-positive test. Here, we showed a distinctive immunological profile in hospitalized COVID-19 patients with confirmed exposure to nicotine.