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B cell depletion and signs of sepsis-acquired immunodeficiency in bone marrow and spleen of COVID-19 deceased

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Item Type:Article
Title:B cell depletion and signs of sepsis-acquired immunodeficiency in bone marrow and spleen of COVID-19 deceased
Creators Name:Ihlow, J., Michaelis, E., Greuel, S., Heynol, V., Lehmann, A., Radbruch, H., Meinhardt, J., Miller, F., Herbst, H., Corman, V.M., Westermann, J., Bullinger, L., Horst, D., von Brünneck, A.C. and Elezkurtaj, S.
Abstract:OBJECTIVES: In coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the adaptive immune response is of considerable importance, and detailed cellular immune reactions in the hematological system of patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection are yet to be clarified. METHODS: This study reports the morphological characterization of both bone marrow and spleen in 11 COVID-19 decedents with respect to findings in the peripheral blood and pulmonary SARS-CoV-2 burden. RESULTS: In the bone marrow, activation and left shift were found in at least 55% of patients, which was mirrored by peripheral anaemia, granulocytic immaturity and multiple thromboembolic events. Signs of sepsis-acquired immunodeficiency were found in the setting of an abscess-forming superinfection of viral COVID-19 pneumonia. Furthermore, a severe B cell loss was observed in the bone marrow and/or spleen in 64% of COVID-19 patients. This was reflected by lymphocytopenia in the peripheral blood. As compared to B cell preservation, B cell loss was associated with a higher pulmonary SARS-CoV-2 burden and only a marginal decrease of of T cell counts. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest the presence of sepsis-related immunodeficiency in severe COVID-19 pneumonia with superinfection. Furthermore, our findings indicate that lymphocytopenia in COVID-19 is accompanied by B cell depletion in hematopoietic tissue, which might impede the durability of the humoral immune response to SARS-CoV-2.
Keywords:COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Bone Marrow, Spleen, B Cells, Sepsis, Immunodeficiency, Humoral Immune Response
Source:International Journal of Infectious Diseases
ISSN:1201-9712
Publisher:Elsevier
Volume:103
Page Range:628-635
Date:February 2021
Official Publication:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2020.12.078
PubMed:View item in PubMed

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