Severe COVID-19 is marked by a dysregulated myeloid cell compartment

Summary

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a mild to moderate respiratory tract infection, however, a subset of patients progresses to severe disease and respiratory failure. The mechanism of protective immunity in mild forms and the pathogenesis of severe COVID-19, associated with increased neutrophil counts and dysregulated immune responses, remains unclear. In a dual-center, two-cohort study, we combined single-cell RNA-sequencing and single-cell proteomics of whole blood and peripheral blood mononuclear cells to determine changes in immune cell composition and activation in mild vs. severe COVID-19 (242 samples from 109 individuals) over time. HLA-DRhiCD11chi inflammatory monocytes with an interferon-stimulated gene signature were elevated in mild COVID-19. Severe COVID-19 was marked by occurrence of neutrophil precursors, as evidence of emergency myelopoiesis, dysfunctional mature neutrophils, and HLA-DRlo monocytes. Our study provides detailed insights into the systemic immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and it reveals profound alterations in the myeloid cell compartment associated with severe COVID-19.

Highlights

• ●

  SARS-CoV-2 infection induces profound alterations of the myeloid compartment

• ●

  Mild COVID-19 is marked by inflammatory HLA-DRhiCD11chi CD14+ monocytes

• ●

  Dysfunctional HLA-DRloCD163hi and HLA-DRloS100Ahi CD14+ monocytes in severe COVID-19

• ●

  Emergency myelopoiesis with immature and dysfunctional neutrophils in severe COVID-19