Stratification of hospitalized COVID-19 patients into clinical severity progression groups by immuno-phenotyping and machine learning

Review Rheumatology

Prevalence and clinical outcomes of COVID-19 in patients with autoimmune diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Shintaro Akiyama et al.

Summary: Patients with autoimmune diseases have a higher risk of COVID-19, primarily due to glucocorticoid use. Monotherapy with b/tsDMARDs is associated with a lower risk of hospitalisation and death.

ANNALS OF THE RHEUMATIC DISEASES (2021)

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Article Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Synergism of TNF-α and IFN-γ Triggers Inflammatory Cell Death, Tissue Damage, and Mortality in SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Cytokine Shock Syndromes

Rajendra Karki et al.

Summary: The combination of TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma induces inflammatory cell death characterized by PANoptosis, which can be inhibited to protect mice from the pathological effects and death caused by COVID-19. Blocking the cytokine-mediated inflammatory cell death signaling pathway may benefit patients with COVID-19 or other infectious and autoinflammatory diseases by limiting tissue damage/inflammation.

CELL (2021)

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Article Multidisciplinary Sciences

Genetic mechanisms of critical illness in COVID-19

Erola Pairo-Castineira et al.

Summary: In critically ill patients with COVID-19, host genetic variants associated with antiviral defense mechanisms and inflammatory organ damage were identified through a genome-wide association study. These genetic signals provide potential targets for therapeutic development and repurposing of existing drugs. Large-scale randomized clinical trials will be essential to confirm the effectiveness of targeted treatment strategies.

NATURE (2021)

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Article Multidisciplinary Sciences

Global absence and targeting of protective immune states in severe COVID-19

Alexis J. Combes et al.

Summary: Patients with mild COVID-19 exhibit a coordinated pattern of expression of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) across every cell population, whereas these ISG-expressing cells are systemically absent in patients with severe disease. Individuals with severe COVID-19 produce very high titres of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and have a lower viral load compared to individuals with mild disease.

NATURE (2021)

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Article Immunology

Untuned antiviral immunity in COVID-19 revealed by temporal type I/III interferon patterns and flu comparison

Ioanna-Evdokia Galani et al.

Summary: Andreakos and colleagues conducted a study comparing patients with COVID-19 and influenza, finding that COVID-19 patients exhibited a dysregulated interferon response with diminished and delayed interferon production compared to flu patients. In COVID-19 patients, pro-inflammatory cytokines were produced before interferons and persisted longer, leading to worsened clinical outcomes.

NATURE IMMUNOLOGY (2021)

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Article Medicine, General & Internal

Early High-Titer Plasma Therapy to Prevent Severe Covid-19 in Older Adults

R. Libster et al.

Summary: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of convalescent plasma with high IgG titers against SARS-CoV-2 in older adult patients within 72 hours after the onset of mild Covid-19 symptoms found that early administration of high-titer convalescent plasma reduced the progression of Covid-19 in mildly ill infected older adults.

NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE (2021)

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Article Medicine, Research & Experimental

An immune-based biomarker signature is associated with mortality in COVID-19 patients

Michael S. Abers et al.

Summary: Immune and inflammatory responses are important factors contributing to disease severity in COVID-19. This study identified specific immune-based biomarkers associated with mortality in COVID-19 patients, with some biomarkers consistently higher in those who died compared to those who recovered, suggesting their potential for early prediction of disease outcome.

JCI INSIGHT (2021)

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Review Immunology

Trained Immunity: Reprogramming Innate Immunity in Health and Disease

Siroon Bekkering et al.

Summary: Trained immunity is a newly recognized phenomenon where cells of the innate immune system exhibit memory characteristics and enhanced responses upon secondary challenge. It explains the heterologous effects of vaccines, but can also lead to maladaptive effects in chronic inflammatory conditions.

ANNUAL REVIEW OF IMMUNOLOGY, VOL 39 (2021)

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Article Immunology

Longitudinal profiling of respiratory and systemic immune responses reveals myeloid cell-driven lung inflammation in severe COVID-19

Peter A. Szabo et al.

Summary: This study investigated the immune responses in the respiratory tract and blood of severe COVID-19 patients, revealing that T cells in the airways showed protective profiles while myeloid cells exhibited hyperinflammatory signatures. These findings provide important insights for understanding and treating COVID-19 lung pathology.

IMMUNITY (2021)

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Article Immunology

A multidisciplinary registry of patients with autoimmune and immune-mediated diseases with symptomatic COVID-19 from a single center

Juan C. Sarmiento-Monroy et al.

Summary: The study found that patients with autoimmune and immune-mediated inflammatory diseases have a lower risk of developing severe disease after contracting SARS-CoV-2, including the need for intensive care treatment and mechanical ventilation, compared to the general population.

JOURNAL OF AUTOIMMUNITY (2021)

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Article Medicine, General & Internal

Tocilizumab in Hospitalized Patients with Severe Covid-19 Pneumonia

I. O. Rosas et al.

Summary: In this randomized trial involving hospitalized patients with severe Covid-19 pneumonia, the use of tocilizumab did not result in significantly better clinical status or lower mortality than placebo at 28 days.

NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE (2021)

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Article Medicine, General & Internal

Interleukin-6 Receptor Antagonists in Critically Ill Patients with Covid-19

Anthony C. Gordon et al.

Summary: Interleukin-6 receptor antagonists tocilizumab and sarilumab were found to improve outcomes, including survival, in critically ill patients with Covid-19 receiving organ support in ICUs according to an ongoing international trial. The efficacy of these treatments has been confirmed, with patients benefiting from the therapy.

NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE (2021)

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Article Multidisciplinary Sciences

Antibody affinity maturation and plasma IgA associate with clinical outcome in hospitalized COVID-19 patients

Juanjie Tang et al.

Summary: Hospitalized COVID-19 patients exhibit a wide range of clinical symptoms, with fatal cases showing high levels of inflammatory markers and antibodies compared to non-ICU survivors. Immune responses such as antibody binding and maturation play a crucial role in disease resolution. Understanding these immune parameters could aid in the development of vaccines and therapeutics against COVID-19.

NATURE COMMUNICATIONS (2021)

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Article Multidisciplinary Sciences

Longitudinal antibody repertoire in mild versus severeCOVID-19 patients reveals immune markers associated with disease severity and resolution

Supriya Ravichandran et al.

Summary: Limited information exists on immune markers associated with disease severity or recovery in COVID-19 patients. This study revealed different dynamics of antibody repertoire evolution in severe versus mild patients, with mild patients showing more favorable immune response for early recovery. High-titer IgA against RBD was observed in severe patients, especially those who succumbed to the infection, while mild patients demonstrated increased antibody affinity maturation associated with faster recovery.

SCIENCE ADVANCES (2021)

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Article Multidisciplinary Sciences

Effects of potent neutralizing antibodies from convalescent plasma in patients hospitalized for severe SARS-CoV-2 infection

Arvind Gharbharan et al.

Summary: A clinical trial on 86 COVID-19 patients treated with convalescent plasma showed no overall clinical benefit, as most patients already had potent antibodies upon admission, leading to the trial being terminated prematurely.

NATURE COMMUNICATIONS (2021)

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Article Multidisciplinary Sciences

Mortality in individuals treated with COVID-19 convalescent plasma varies with the geographic provenance of donors

Katie L. Kunze et al.

Summary: Successful COVID-19 therapeutics and vaccines have utilized the immune response to the virus, but locally-evolving variants may impact treatment effectiveness. Near-sourced convalescent plasma has higher efficacy in causing death within 30 days of transfusion.

NATURE COMMUNICATIONS (2021)

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Article Rheumatology