Reduced numbers of T cells and B cells correlates with persistent SARS-CoV-2 presence in non-severe COVID-19 patients

• Published in: Scientific reports 2020-10, Vol.10 (1), p.17718, Article 17718
• Main Authors: Liu, Bing, Han, Junyan, Cheng, Xiaohuan, Yu, Long, Zhang, Li, Wang, Wei, Ni, Lan, Wei, Chaojie, Huang, Yafei, Cheng, Zhenshun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 631/250/2152; 631/250/255; 631/326; Adult; B-Lymphocytes - cytology; B-Lymphocytes - immunology; B-Lymphocytes - metabolism; Betacoronavirus - isolation & purification; Case-Control Studies; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - cytology; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - immunology; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - metabolism; Coronavirus Infections - immunology; Coronavirus Infections - pathology; Coronavirus Infections - virology; COVID-19; Female; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Killer Cells, Natural - cytology; Killer Cells, Natural - immunology; Killer Cells, Natural - metabolism; Male; multidisciplinary; Pandemics; Pneumonia, Viral - immunology; Pneumonia, Viral - pathology; Pneumonia, Viral - virology; Retrospective Studies; SARS-CoV-2; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Severity of Illness Index; T-Lymphocytes - cytology; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; T-Lymphocytes - metabolism
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-73955-8

COVID-19 has been widely spreading. We aimed to examine adaptive immune cells in non-severe patients with persistent SARS-CoV-2 shedding. 37 non-severe patients with persistent SARS-CoV-2 presence that were transferred to Zhongnan hospital of Wuhan University were retrospectively recruited to the PP (persistently positive) group, which was further allocated to PPP group (n = 19) and PPN group (n = 18), according to their testing results after 7 days (N = negative). Epidemiological, demographic, clinical and laboratory data were collected and analyzed. Data from age- and sex-matched non-severe patients at disease onset (PA [positive on admission] patients, n = 37), and lymphocyte subpopulation measurements from matched 54 healthy subjects were extracted for comparison (HC). Compared with PA patients, PP patients had much improved laboratory findings. The absolute numbers of CD3 + T cells, CD4 + T cells, and NK cells were significantly higher in PP group than that in PA group, and were comparable to that in healthy controls. PPP subgroup had markedly reduced B cells and T cells compared to PPN group and healthy subjects. Finally, paired results of these lymphocyte subpopulations from 10 PPN patients demonstrated that the number of T cells and B cells significantly increased when the SARS-CoV-2 tests turned negative. Persistent SARS-CoV-2 presence in non-severe COVID-19 patients is associated with reduced numbers of adaptive immune cells. Monitoring lymphocyte subpopulations could be clinically meaningful in identifying fully recovered COVID-19 patients.