Publication
A persistent neutrophil-associated immune signature characterizes post–COVID-19 pulmonary sequelae
Publisher:
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Date:
16-11-2022
DOI:
10.1126/SCITRANSLMED.ABO5795
Abstract: Interstitial lung disease and associated fibrosis occur in a proportion of in iduals who have recovered from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection through unknown mechanisms. We studied in iduals with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) after recovery from acute illness. In iduals with evidence of interstitial lung changes at 3 to 6 months after recovery had an up-regulated neutrophil-associated immune signature including increased chemokines, proteases, and markers of neutrophil extracellular traps that were detectable in the blood. Similar pathways were enriched in the upper airway with a concomitant increase in antiviral type I interferon signaling. Interaction analysis of the peripheral phosphoproteome identified enriched kinases critical for neutrophil inflammatory pathways. Evaluation of these in iduals at 12 months after recovery indicated that a subset of the in iduals had not yet achieved full normalization of radiological and functional changes. These data provide insight into mechanisms driving development of pulmonary sequelae during and after COVID-19 and provide a rational basis for development of targeted approaches to prevent long-term complications.