Interleukin-3 is a predictive marker for severity and outcome during SARS-CoV-2 infections

Bénard A, Jacobsen A, Brunner M, Krautz C, Klösch B, Swierzy I, Naschberger E, Podolska M, Kouhestani D, David P, Birkholz T, Castellanos I, Trufa D, Sirbu H, Vetter M, Kremer A, Hildner K, Hecker A, Edinger F, Tenbusch M, Mühl-Zürbes P, Steinkasserer A, Richter E, Streeck H, Berger MM, Brenner T, Weigand MA, Swirski FK, Schett G, Grützmann R, Weber G (2021)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2021

Journal

Nature Communications Nature Publishing Group: Nature Communications

Book Volume: 12

Article Number: 1112

Journal Issue: 1

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21310-4

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a worldwide health threat. In a prospective multicentric study, we identify IL-3 as an independent prognostic marker for the outcome during SARS-CoV-2 infections. Specifically, low plasma IL-3 levels is associated with increased severity, viral load, and mortality during SARS-CoV-2 infections. Patients with severe COVID-19 exhibit also reduced circulating plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) and low plasma IFNα and IFNλ levels when compared to non-severe COVID-19 patients. In a mouse model of pulmonary HSV-1 infection, treatment with recombinant IL-3 reduces viral load and mortality. Mechanistically, IL-3 increases innate antiviral immunity by promoting the recruitment of circulating pDCs into the airways by stimulating CXCL12 secretion from pulmonary CD123+ epithelial cells, both, in mice and in COVID-19 negative patients exhibiting pulmonary diseases. This study identifies IL-3 as a predictive disease marker for SARS-CoV-2 infections and as a potential therapeutic target for pulmunory viral infections.

Authors with CRIS profile

Anne Jacobsen Department of Surgery Maximilian Brunner Medizinische Fakultät Christian Krautz Department of Surgery Elisabeth Naschberger Medizinische Fakultät Malgorzata Podolska Department of Surgery Dina Kouhestani Department of Surgery Torsten Birkholz Department of Anaesthesiology Alvaro Ixchel Castellanos Department of Anaesthesiology Denis Trufa Department of Thoracic Surgery Horia Sirbu Department of Thoracic Surgery Marcel Vetter Department of Medicine 1 – Gastroenterology, Pneumology and Endocrinology Andreas Kremer Department of Medicine 1 – Gastroenterology, Pneumology and Endocrinology Kai Hildner Juniorprofessur für Pneumologie/ Immunologie Matthias Tenbusch Professur für Genbasierte Immunisierungsverfahren Alexander Steinkasserer Professur für Experimentelle Dermatologie Georg Schett Lehrstuhl für Innere Medizin III Robert Grützmann Department of Surgery Georg Weber Department of Surgery

Involved external institutions

Universitätsklinikum Bonn DE Germany (DE) Universitätsklinikum Gießen und Marburg (UKGM) DE Germany (DE) Universitätsklinikum Essen DE Germany (DE) Massachusetts General Hospital US United States (USA) (US) Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Bénard, A., Jacobsen, A., Brunner, M., Krautz, C., Klösch, B., Swierzy, I.,... Weber, G. (2021). Interleukin-3 is a predictive marker for severity and outcome during SARS-CoV-2 infections. Nature Communications, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-21310-4

MLA:

Bénard, Alan, et al. "Interleukin-3 is a predictive marker for severity and outcome during SARS-CoV-2 infections." Nature Communications 12.1 (2021).

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