Severe COVID-19 patients display hyper-activated NK cells and NK cell-platelet aggregates.

ABSTRACT: COVID-19 is characterised by a broad spectrum of clinical and pathological features. Natural killer (NK) cells play an important role in innate immune responses to viral infections. Here, we analysed the phenotype and activity of NK cells in the blood of COVID-19 patients using flow cytometry, single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq), and a cytotoxic killing assay. In the plasma of patients, we quantified the main cytokines and chemokines. Our cohort comprises COVID-19 patients hospitalised in a low-care ward unit (WARD), patients with severe COVID-19 disease symptoms hospitalised in intensive care units (ICU), and post-COVID-19 patients, who were discharged from hospital six weeks earlier. NK cells from hospitalised COVID-19 patients displayed an activated phenotype with substantial differe

SUBMITTER: Malengier-Devlies B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9581751 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature