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Self-sustaining interleukin-8 loops drive a prothrombotic neutrophil phenotype in severe COVID-19

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Item Type:Article
Title:Self-sustaining interleukin-8 loops drive a prothrombotic neutrophil phenotype in severe COVID-19
Creators: Kaiser, R. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1750-3395, Leunig, A. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9179-9203, Pekayvaz, K. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4040-650X, Popp, O. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6240-4666, Joppich, M. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6665-8951, Polewka, V., Escaig, R., Anjum, A. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1976-4102, Hoffknecht, M.L. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5894-0308, Gold, C., Brambs, S., Engel, A., Stockhausen, S., Knottenberg, V., Titova, A., Haji, M., Scherer, C. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2816-6793, Muenchhoff, M., Hellmuth, J.C., Saar, K. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4483-1557, Schubert, B. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3412-1102, Hilgendorff, A. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3725-996X, Schulz, C., Kääb, S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8824-3581, Zimmer, R. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1439-2327, Hübner, N. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1218-6223, Massberg, S., Mertins, P. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2245-528X, Nicolai, L. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0776-5885 and Stark, K.
Abstract:Neutrophils provide a critical line of defense in immune responses to various pathogens, but also inflict self-damage upon transition to a hyperactivated, procoagulant state. Recent work has highlighted proinflammatory neutrophil phenotypes contributing to lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in patients suffering from COVID-19. Here, we utilize state-of-the art mass spectrometry-based proteomics, transcriptomic and correlative analyses as well as functional in vitro and in vivo studies to dissect how neutrophils contribute to the progression to severe COVID-19. We identify a reinforcing loop of both systemic and neutrophil intrinsic interleukin-8 (CXCL8/IL-8) dysregulation, which initiates and perpetuates neutrophil-driven immunopathology. This positive feedback loop of systemic and neutrophil autocrine IL-8 production leads to an activated, prothrombotic neutrophil phenotype characterized by degranulation and neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation. In severe COVID-19, neutrophils directly initiate the coagulation and complement cascade, highlighting a link to the immunothrombotic state observed in these patients. Targeting the IL-8-CXCR-1/-2 axis interferes with this vicious cycle and attenuates neutrophil activation, degranulation, NETosis, and IL-8 release. Finally, we show that blocking IL-8-like signaling reduces SARS-CoV-2 spike protein-induced, hACE2-dependent pulmonary microthrombosis in mice. In summary, our data provide comprehensive insights into the activation mechanisms of neutrophils in COVID-19 and uncover a self-sustaining neutrophil-IL-8-axis as promising therapeutic target in severe SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Keywords:COVID-19, Interleukin-8, Lung, Neutrophil Activation, Neutrophils, Phenotype, SARS-CoV-2, Thrombosis, Animals, Mice
Source:JCI Insight
ISSN:2379-3708
Publisher:American Society for Clinical Investigation
Volume:6
Number:18
Page Range:e150862
Date:22 September 2021
Official Publication:https://doi.org/10.1172/jci.insight.150862
PubMed:View item in PubMed

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