Circulating Adaptive Immune Cells Expressing the Gut Homing Marker α4β7 Integrin Are Decreased in COVID-19

Müller T, Becker E, Wiendl M, Schulze L, Voskens C, Kremer A, Neurath M, Zundler S, Völkl S (2021)


Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2021

Journal

Book Volume: 12

Article Number: 639329

DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.639329

Abstract

Background: Infection with the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes a wide range of symptoms including gastrointestinal manifestations, and intestinal epithelial cells are a target of the virus. However, it is unknown how the intestinal immune system contributes to systemic immune responses in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods: We characterized peripheral blood lymphocytes from patients with active COVID-19 and convalescent patients as well as healthy controls by flow cytometry. Results: The frequency and absolute number of circulating memory T and B cells expressing the gut homing integrin α4β7 integrin was reduced during COVID-19, whether gastrointestinal symptoms were present or not. While total IgA-expressing B cells were increased, gut-imprinted B cells with IgA expression were stable. Conclusion: COVID-19 is associated with a decrease in circulating adaptive immune cells expressing the key gut homing marker α4β7 suggesting that these cells are preferentially recruited to extra-intestinal tissues independently of α4β7 or that the systemic immune response against SARS-CoV-2 is at least numerically dominated by extraintestinal, particularly pulmonary, immune cell priming.

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APA:

Müller, T., Becker, E., Wiendl, M., Schulze, L., Voskens, C., Kremer, A.,... Völkl, S. (2021). Circulating Adaptive Immune Cells Expressing the Gut Homing Marker α4β7 Integrin Are Decreased in COVID-19. Frontiers in Immunology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2021.639329

MLA:

Müller, Tanja, et al. "Circulating Adaptive Immune Cells Expressing the Gut Homing Marker α4β7 Integrin Are Decreased in COVID-19." Frontiers in Immunology 12 (2021).

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