Immune cell population and cytokine profiling suggest age dependent differences in the response to SARS-CoV-2 infection
Aging population is at higher risk of developing severe COVID-19, including hospitalization and death. In this work, to further understand the relationship between host age-related factors, immunosenescence/exhaustion of the immune system and the response to the virus, we characterized immune cell a...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Aging |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fragi.2023.1108149/full |
| _version_ | 1811165310168858624 |
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| author | Larraitz Aragon Andrea Iribarren-López Ainhoa Alberro Leire Iparraguirre Miguel Von Wichmann Jose María Marimon Nagore Saiz-Calderon Julia Agudo M. Isabel Gálvez M. Carmen Cipitria Alvaro Prada Alvaro Prada David Otaegui |
| author_facet | Larraitz Aragon Andrea Iribarren-López Ainhoa Alberro Leire Iparraguirre Miguel Von Wichmann Jose María Marimon Nagore Saiz-Calderon Julia Agudo M. Isabel Gálvez M. Carmen Cipitria Alvaro Prada Alvaro Prada David Otaegui |
| author_sort | Larraitz Aragon |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Aging population is at higher risk of developing severe COVID-19, including hospitalization and death. In this work, to further understand the relationship between host age-related factors, immunosenescence/exhaustion of the immune system and the response to the virus, we characterized immune cell and cytokine responses in 58 COVID-19 patients admitted to the hospital and 40 healthy controls of different age ranges. Lymphocyte populations and inflammatory profiles were studied in blood samples, using different panels of multicolor flow cytometry. As expected, our analysis reveals differences at both the cellular and cytokine level in COVID-19 patients. Interestingly, when the age range analysis was carried out, the immunological response to the infection was found to differ with age, being especially affected in the group of 30–39 years. In this age range, an increased exhausted T cell response and a decrease of naïve T helper lymphocytes was found in patients, as well as a reduced concentration of the proinflammatory TNF, IL-1β and IL-8 cytokines. Besides, the correlation between age and the study variables was evaluated, and multiple cell types and interleukins were found to correlate with donor age. Notably, the correlations of T helper naïve and effector memory cells, T helper 1–17 cells, TNF, IL-10, IL-1β, IL-8, among others, showed differences between healthy controls and COVID-19 patients. Our findings, in the context of other previous studies, suggest that aging affects the behavior of the immune system in COVID-19 patients. They suggest that young individuals are able to mount an initial response to SARS-CoV-2, but some of them present an accelerated exhaustion of the cell response and an insufficient inflammatory response, resulting in a moderate to severe COVID-19. On the other hand, in older patients there is a smaller immune cell response to the virus, reflected in fewer differences in immune populations between COVID-19 patients and controls. Nevertheless, old patients show more evidence of an inflammatory phenotype, suggesting that the underlying inflammation associated with their age is exacerbated by the SARS-CoV-2 infection. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T15:35:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0e8ef847197f447fb02f7e81541a464e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-6217 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T15:35:12Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Aging |
| spelling | doaj.art-0e8ef847197f447fb02f7e81541a464e2023-02-13T05:48:36ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Aging2673-62172023-02-01410.3389/fragi.2023.11081491108149Immune cell population and cytokine profiling suggest age dependent differences in the response to SARS-CoV-2 infectionLarraitz Aragon0Andrea Iribarren-López1Ainhoa Alberro2Leire Iparraguirre3Miguel Von Wichmann4Jose María Marimon5Nagore Saiz-Calderon6Julia Agudo7M. Isabel Gálvez8M. Carmen Cipitria9Alvaro Prada10Alvaro Prada11David Otaegui12UGC Laboratories Gipuzkoa, Immunology Section, Osakidetza Basque Health Service, San Sebastián, SpainMultiple Sclerosis Group, Neurosciences Area, Biodonostia Health Research Institute, San Sebastián, SpainMultiple Sclerosis Group, Neurosciences Area, Biodonostia Health Research Institute, San Sebastián, SpainMultiple Sclerosis Group, Neurosciences Area, Biodonostia Health Research Institute, San Sebastián, SpainInfectious diseases Department, Donostialdea Integrated Health Organization, Osakidetza Basque Health Service, San Sebastián, SpainMicrobiology Department, Donostialdea Integrated Health Organization, Osakidetza Basque Health Service, San Sebastián, SpainUGC Laboratories Gipuzkoa, Immunology Section, Osakidetza Basque Health Service, San Sebastián, SpainUGC Laboratories Gipuzkoa, Immunology Section, Osakidetza Basque Health Service, San Sebastián, SpainUGC Laboratories Gipuzkoa, Immunology Section, Osakidetza Basque Health Service, San Sebastián, SpainUGC Laboratories Gipuzkoa, Immunology Section, Osakidetza Basque Health Service, San Sebastián, SpainUGC Laboratories Gipuzkoa, Immunology Section, Osakidetza Basque Health Service, San Sebastián, SpainMultiple Sclerosis Group, Neurosciences Area, Biodonostia Health Research Institute, San Sebastián, SpainMultiple Sclerosis Group, Neurosciences Area, Biodonostia Health Research Institute, San Sebastián, SpainAging population is at higher risk of developing severe COVID-19, including hospitalization and death. In this work, to further understand the relationship between host age-related factors, immunosenescence/exhaustion of the immune system and the response to the virus, we characterized immune cell and cytokine responses in 58 COVID-19 patients admitted to the hospital and 40 healthy controls of different age ranges. Lymphocyte populations and inflammatory profiles were studied in blood samples, using different panels of multicolor flow cytometry. As expected, our analysis reveals differences at both the cellular and cytokine level in COVID-19 patients. Interestingly, when the age range analysis was carried out, the immunological response to the infection was found to differ with age, being especially affected in the group of 30–39 years. In this age range, an increased exhausted T cell response and a decrease of naïve T helper lymphocytes was found in patients, as well as a reduced concentration of the proinflammatory TNF, IL-1β and IL-8 cytokines. Besides, the correlation between age and the study variables was evaluated, and multiple cell types and interleukins were found to correlate with donor age. Notably, the correlations of T helper naïve and effector memory cells, T helper 1–17 cells, TNF, IL-10, IL-1β, IL-8, among others, showed differences between healthy controls and COVID-19 patients. Our findings, in the context of other previous studies, suggest that aging affects the behavior of the immune system in COVID-19 patients. They suggest that young individuals are able to mount an initial response to SARS-CoV-2, but some of them present an accelerated exhaustion of the cell response and an insufficient inflammatory response, resulting in a moderate to severe COVID-19. On the other hand, in older patients there is a smaller immune cell response to the virus, reflected in fewer differences in immune populations between COVID-19 patients and controls. Nevertheless, old patients show more evidence of an inflammatory phenotype, suggesting that the underlying inflammation associated with their age is exacerbated by the SARS-CoV-2 infection.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fragi.2023.1108149/fullCOVID-19SARS-CoV-2immunosenescence and exhaustionimmunosenescence and inflammagingSevere COVID-19 |
| spellingShingle | Larraitz Aragon Andrea Iribarren-López Ainhoa Alberro Leire Iparraguirre Miguel Von Wichmann Jose María Marimon Nagore Saiz-Calderon Julia Agudo M. Isabel Gálvez M. Carmen Cipitria Alvaro Prada Alvaro Prada David Otaegui Immune cell population and cytokine profiling suggest age dependent differences in the response to SARS-CoV-2 infection Frontiers in Aging COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 immunosenescence and exhaustion immunosenescence and inflammaging Severe COVID-19 |
| title | Immune cell population and cytokine profiling suggest age dependent differences in the response to SARS-CoV-2 infection |
| title_full | Immune cell population and cytokine profiling suggest age dependent differences in the response to SARS-CoV-2 infection |
| title_fullStr | Immune cell population and cytokine profiling suggest age dependent differences in the response to SARS-CoV-2 infection |
| title_full_unstemmed | Immune cell population and cytokine profiling suggest age dependent differences in the response to SARS-CoV-2 infection |
| title_short | Immune cell population and cytokine profiling suggest age dependent differences in the response to SARS-CoV-2 infection |
| title_sort | immune cell population and cytokine profiling suggest age dependent differences in the response to sars cov 2 infection |
| topic | COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 immunosenescence and exhaustion immunosenescence and inflammaging Severe COVID-19 |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fragi.2023.1108149/full |
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