Blood Cytokine Analysis Suggests That SARS-CoV-2 Infection Results in a Sustained Tumour Promoting Environment in Cancer Patients
Cytokines, chemokines, and (angiogenic) growth factors (CCGs) have been shown to play an intricate role in the progression of both solid and haematological malignancies. Recent studies have shown that SARS-CoV-2 infection leads to a worse outcome in cancer patients, especially in haematological mali...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2021-11-01
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| Series: | Cancers |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/13/22/5718 |
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| author | Fien H. R. De Winter An Hotterbeekx Manon T. Huizing Angelina Konnova Erik Fransen Bart’s Jongers Ravi Kumar Jairam Vincent Van averbeke Pieter Moons Ella Roelant Debbie Le Blon Wim Vanden Berghe Annelies Janssens Willem Lybaert Lieselot Croes Christof Vulsteke Surbhi Malhotra-Kumar Herman Goossens Zwi Berneman Marc Peeters Peter A. van Dam Samir Kumar-Singh |
| author_facet | Fien H. R. De Winter An Hotterbeekx Manon T. Huizing Angelina Konnova Erik Fransen Bart’s Jongers Ravi Kumar Jairam Vincent Van averbeke Pieter Moons Ella Roelant Debbie Le Blon Wim Vanden Berghe Annelies Janssens Willem Lybaert Lieselot Croes Christof Vulsteke Surbhi Malhotra-Kumar Herman Goossens Zwi Berneman Marc Peeters Peter A. van Dam Samir Kumar-Singh |
| author_sort | Fien H. R. De Winter |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Cytokines, chemokines, and (angiogenic) growth factors (CCGs) have been shown to play an intricate role in the progression of both solid and haematological malignancies. Recent studies have shown that SARS-CoV-2 infection leads to a worse outcome in cancer patients, especially in haematological malignancy patients. Here, we investigated how SARS-CoV-2 infection impacts the already altered CCG levels in solid or haematological malignancies, specifically, whether there is a protective effect or rather a potentially higher risk for major COVID-19 complications in cancer patients due to elevated CCGs linked to cancer progression. Serially analysing immune responses with 55 CCGs in cancer patients under active treatment with or without SARS-CoV-2 infection, we first showed that cancer patients without SARS-CoV-2 infection (<i>n</i> = 54) demonstrate elevated levels of 35 CCGs compared to the non-cancer, non-infected control group of health care workers (<i>n</i> = 42). Of the 35 CCGs, 19 were common to both the solid and haematological malignancy groups and comprised previously described cytokines such as IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1Ra, IL-17A, and VEGF, but also several less well described cytokines/chemokines such as Fractalkine, Tie-2, and T cell chemokine CTACK. Importantly, we show here that 7 CCGs are significantly altered in SARS-CoV-2 exposed cancer patients (<i>n</i> = 52). Of these, TNF-α, IFN-β, TSLP, and sVCAM-1, identified to be elevated in haematological cancers, are also known tumour-promoting factors. Longitudinal analysis conducted over 3 months showed persistence of several tumour-promoting CCGs in SARS-CoV-2 exposed cancer patients. These data demonstrate a need for increased vigilance for haematological malignancy patients as a part of long COVID follow-up. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T05:38:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-62d8aa4837a8463481aa74162ede7e63 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6694 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T05:38:17Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cancers |
| spelling | doaj.art-62d8aa4837a8463481aa74162ede7e632023-11-22T22:42:16ZengMDPI AGCancers2072-66942021-11-011322571810.3390/cancers13225718Blood Cytokine Analysis Suggests That SARS-CoV-2 Infection Results in a Sustained Tumour Promoting Environment in Cancer PatientsFien H. R. De Winter0An Hotterbeekx1Manon T. Huizing2Angelina Konnova3Erik Fransen4Bart’s Jongers5Ravi Kumar Jairam6Vincent Van averbeke7Pieter Moons8Ella Roelant9Debbie Le Blon10Wim Vanden Berghe11Annelies Janssens12Willem Lybaert13Lieselot Croes14Christof Vulsteke15Surbhi Malhotra-Kumar16Herman Goossens17Zwi Berneman18Marc Peeters19Peter A. van Dam20Samir Kumar-Singh21Molecular Pathology Group, Laboratory of Cell Biology & Histology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, BelgiumMolecular Pathology Group, Laboratory of Cell Biology & Histology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, BelgiumMultidisciplinary Oncologic Centre Antwerp (MOCA), Antwerp University Hospital, Drie Eikenstraat 655, 2650 Edegem, BelgiumMolecular Pathology Group, Laboratory of Cell Biology & Histology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, BelgiumStatUa, Center for Statistics, University of Antwerp, 2000 Antwerp, BelgiumMolecular Pathology Group, Laboratory of Cell Biology & Histology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, BelgiumMolecular Pathology Group, Laboratory of Cell Biology & Histology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, BelgiumMolecular Pathology Group, Laboratory of Cell Biology & Histology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, BelgiumBiobank Antwerp, Antwerp University Hospital, Drie Eikenstraat 655, 2650 Edegem, BelgiumStatUa, Center for Statistics, University of Antwerp, 2000 Antwerp, BelgiumCenter for Oncological Research (CORE), Integrated Personalized and Precision Oncology Network (IPPON), University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, BelgiumPPES Lab Protein Chemistry, Proteomics & Epigenetic Signaling, IPPON, Department Biomedical Sciences, University Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, BelgiumMultidisciplinary Oncologic Centre Antwerp (MOCA), Antwerp University Hospital, Drie Eikenstraat 655, 2650 Edegem, BelgiumDepartment of Medical Oncology, AZ Nikolaas, Moerlandstraat 1, 9100 Sint-Niklaas, BelgiumCenter for Oncological Research (CORE), Integrated Personalized and Precision Oncology Network (IPPON), University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, BelgiumClinical Trial Center (CTC), CRC Antwerp, Antwerp University Hospital, University of Antwerp, Drie Eikenstraat 655, 2650 Edegem, BelgiumLaboratory of Medical Microbiology, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, BelgiumLaboratory of Medical Microbiology, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, BelgiumMultidisciplinary Oncologic Centre Antwerp (MOCA), Antwerp University Hospital, Drie Eikenstraat 655, 2650 Edegem, BelgiumMultidisciplinary Oncologic Centre Antwerp (MOCA), Antwerp University Hospital, Drie Eikenstraat 655, 2650 Edegem, BelgiumMultidisciplinary Oncologic Centre Antwerp (MOCA), Antwerp University Hospital, Drie Eikenstraat 655, 2650 Edegem, BelgiumMolecular Pathology Group, Laboratory of Cell Biology & Histology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, BelgiumCytokines, chemokines, and (angiogenic) growth factors (CCGs) have been shown to play an intricate role in the progression of both solid and haematological malignancies. Recent studies have shown that SARS-CoV-2 infection leads to a worse outcome in cancer patients, especially in haematological malignancy patients. Here, we investigated how SARS-CoV-2 infection impacts the already altered CCG levels in solid or haematological malignancies, specifically, whether there is a protective effect or rather a potentially higher risk for major COVID-19 complications in cancer patients due to elevated CCGs linked to cancer progression. Serially analysing immune responses with 55 CCGs in cancer patients under active treatment with or without SARS-CoV-2 infection, we first showed that cancer patients without SARS-CoV-2 infection (<i>n</i> = 54) demonstrate elevated levels of 35 CCGs compared to the non-cancer, non-infected control group of health care workers (<i>n</i> = 42). Of the 35 CCGs, 19 were common to both the solid and haematological malignancy groups and comprised previously described cytokines such as IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1Ra, IL-17A, and VEGF, but also several less well described cytokines/chemokines such as Fractalkine, Tie-2, and T cell chemokine CTACK. Importantly, we show here that 7 CCGs are significantly altered in SARS-CoV-2 exposed cancer patients (<i>n</i> = 52). Of these, TNF-α, IFN-β, TSLP, and sVCAM-1, identified to be elevated in haematological cancers, are also known tumour-promoting factors. Longitudinal analysis conducted over 3 months showed persistence of several tumour-promoting CCGs in SARS-CoV-2 exposed cancer patients. These data demonstrate a need for increased vigilance for haematological malignancy patients as a part of long COVID follow-up.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/13/22/5718COVID-19immune responseTh1Th2Th17pro-inflammatory |
| spellingShingle | Fien H. R. De Winter An Hotterbeekx Manon T. Huizing Angelina Konnova Erik Fransen Bart’s Jongers Ravi Kumar Jairam Vincent Van averbeke Pieter Moons Ella Roelant Debbie Le Blon Wim Vanden Berghe Annelies Janssens Willem Lybaert Lieselot Croes Christof Vulsteke Surbhi Malhotra-Kumar Herman Goossens Zwi Berneman Marc Peeters Peter A. van Dam Samir Kumar-Singh Blood Cytokine Analysis Suggests That SARS-CoV-2 Infection Results in a Sustained Tumour Promoting Environment in Cancer Patients Cancers COVID-19 immune response Th1 Th2 Th17 pro-inflammatory |
| title | Blood Cytokine Analysis Suggests That SARS-CoV-2 Infection Results in a Sustained Tumour Promoting Environment in Cancer Patients |
| title_full | Blood Cytokine Analysis Suggests That SARS-CoV-2 Infection Results in a Sustained Tumour Promoting Environment in Cancer Patients |
| title_fullStr | Blood Cytokine Analysis Suggests That SARS-CoV-2 Infection Results in a Sustained Tumour Promoting Environment in Cancer Patients |
| title_full_unstemmed | Blood Cytokine Analysis Suggests That SARS-CoV-2 Infection Results in a Sustained Tumour Promoting Environment in Cancer Patients |
| title_short | Blood Cytokine Analysis Suggests That SARS-CoV-2 Infection Results in a Sustained Tumour Promoting Environment in Cancer Patients |
| title_sort | blood cytokine analysis suggests that sars cov 2 infection results in a sustained tumour promoting environment in cancer patients |
| topic | COVID-19 immune response Th1 Th2 Th17 pro-inflammatory |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/13/22/5718 |
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