Project description:Post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) represent an emerging global crisis. However, quantifiable risk-factors for PASC and their biological associations are poorly resolved. We executed a deep multi-omic, longitudinal investigation of 309 COVID-19 patients from initial diagnosis to convalescence (2-3 months later), integrated with clinical data, and patient-reported symptoms. We resolved four PASC-anticipating risk factors at the time of initial COVID-19 diagnosis: type 2 diabetes, SARS-CoV-2 RNAemia, Epstein-Barr virus viremia, and specific autoantibodies. In patients with gastrointestinal PASC, SARS-CoV-2-specific and CMV-specific CD8+ T cells exhibited unique dynamics during recovery from COVID-19. Analysis of symptom-associated immunological signatures revealed coordinated immunity polarization into four endotypes exhibiting divergent acute severity and PASC. We find that immunological associations between PASC factors diminish over time leading to distinct convalescent immune states. Detectability of most PASC factors at COVID-19 diagnosis emphasizes the importance of early disease measurements for understanding emergent chronic conditions and suggests PASC treatment strategies.
Project description:Although a substantial proportion of severe COVID-19 pneumonia survivors exhibit long-term pulmonary sequalae, the underlying mechanisms or associated local and systemic immune correlates are not known. Here, we have performed high dimensional characterization of the pathophysiological and immune traits of aged COVID-19 convalescents, and correlated the local and systemic immune profiles with pulmonary function and lung imaging. In this cohort of aged COVID-19 convalescents, chronic lung impairment was accompanied by persistent systemic inflammation and respiratory immune alterations. Detailed evaluation of the lung immune compartment revealed dysregulated respiratory CD8+ T cell responses that likely underlie the impaired lung function following acute COVID-19 during aging. Single cell transcriptomic analysis identified the potential pathogenic subsets of respiratory CD8+ T cells causing persistent tissue conditions following COVID-19. Our results have revealed key pathophysiological and immune traits that support the development of lung sequelae following SARS-CoV2 pneumonia during aging, with implications for the treatment of chronic COVID-19 symptoms.
Project description:Acute SARS-CoV-2 infection is often highly inflammatory and protracted. Recent advances have established that inflammation can trigger innate immune memory and a persistent influence on hematopoietic development, through epigenetic mechanisms. However, these phenotypes and their molecular and cellular features are poorly described in humans. Here we reveal epigenomic alterations in innate immune and hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPC) post-COVID-19, with distinct molecular programs across disease severities. Enabled by novel approaches to study hematopoiesis from peripheral blood, we find persisting HSPC epigenetic programs conveyed, for months to a year, to short-lived progeny monocytes. These epigenetic changes are associated with increased myeloid cell differentiation and inflammatory and antiviral programs. We provide insights into post-infectious HSPC and innate immune cell epigenetic alterations that are broadly relevant.
Project description:Acute SARS-CoV-2 infection is often highly inflammatory and protracted. Recent advances have established that inflammation can trigger innate immune memory and a persistent influence on hematopoietic development, through epigenetic mechanisms. However, these phenotypes and their molecular and cellular features are poorly described in humans. Here we reveal epigenomic alterations in innate immune and hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPC) post-COVID-19, with distinct molecular programs across disease severities. Enabled by novel approaches to study hematopoiesis from peripheral blood, we find persisting HSPC epigenetic programs conveyed, for months to a year, to short-lived progeny monocytes. These epigenetic changes are associated with increased myeloid cell differentiation and inflammatory and antiviral programs. We provide insights into post-infectious HSPC and innate immune cell epigenetic alterations that are broadly relevant.
Project description:Acute SARS-CoV-2 infection is often highly inflammatory and protracted. Recent advances have established that inflammation can trigger innate immune memory and a persistent influence on hematopoietic development, through epigenetic mechanisms. However, these phenotypes and their molecular and cellular features are poorly described in humans. Here we reveal epigenomic alterations in innate immune and hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPC) post-COVID-19, with distinct molecular programs across disease severities. Enabled by novel approaches to study hematopoiesis from peripheral blood, we find persisting HSPC epigenetic programs conveyed, for months to a year, to short-lived progeny monocytes. These epigenetic changes are associated with increased myeloid cell differentiation and inflammatory and antiviral programs. We provide insights into post-infectious HSPC and innate immune cell epigenetic alterations that are broadly relevant.
Project description:Visualization of gene expression in lung tissue was performed using Visium spatial gene expression kits (10x Genomics) following the manufacturer`s protocol. The four capture areas in a 10x Genomics Visium Gene Expression slide consist of 5000 spots with DNA oligos for mRNA capture that have a unique spatial barcode and a unique Molecular Identifier (UMI). Each spot has 55 µm diameter and can therefore capture mRNA from 1 to 10 cells. We report the spatially resolved transcriptome of 3 control lung samples from non-COVID-19-related pneumonia donors and 9 COVID-19 lung samples analyzed with the 10x Visium platform.