Abstract

Introduction

Several efforts have been made to describe the complexity of T cell heterogeneity during the COVID-19 disease; however, there remain gaps in our understanding in terms of the granularity within.

Methods

For this attempt, we performed a single-cell transcriptomic analysis of 33 individuals (4 healthy, 16 COVID-19 positive patients, and 13 COVID-19 recovered individuals).

Results

We found CD8 T cell-biased lymphopenia in COVID-19 patients compared to healthy and recovered individuals. We also found an optimal Th1/Th2 ratio, indicating an effective immune response during COVID-19. Expansion of activated CD4 T and NK T was detected in the COVID-19-positive individuals. Surprisingly, we found cellular and metal ion homeostasis pathways enriched in the COVID-19-positive individuals compared to the healthy and recovered in the CD8 T cell populations (CD8 TCM and CD8 TEM) as well as activated CD4 T cells.

Discussion

In summary, the COVID-19-positive individuals exhibit a dynamic T cell mediated response. This response may have a possible association with the dysregulation of non-canonical pathways, including housekeeping functions in addition to the conventional antiviral immune response mediated by the T cell subpopulation. These findings considerably extend our insights into the heterogeneity of T cell response during and post-SARS-CoV-2 infection.

MeSH

Infections, Homeostasis, Cells, T-Lymphocytes, Household Work, Covid-19

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