COVID-19 article collection
We are pleased to feature all COVID-19-related articles published in JCI Insight.
The editors of JCI and JCI Insight have revised the editorial process to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global research community. Highlights:
- The editors may choose to be more lenient regarding revision requests if the requested experiments do not fundamentally change the conclusions
- The editors may overrule requests from reviewers that the editorial board deems to be beyond the scope of reasonable revision
- If additional studies are required, the editors want to ensure that authors have adequate time to perform the work
The most recent COVID-19 articles are shown below. For all articles, click here
Related articles
Abstract
Comorbid medical illnesses, such as obesity and diabetes, are associated with more severe COVID-19, hospitalization, and death. However, the role of the immune system in mediating these clinical outcomes has not been determined. We used multi-parameter flow cytometry and systems serology to comprehensively profile the functions of T cells and antibodies targeting spike, nucleocapsid, and envelope proteins in a convalescent cohort of COVID-19 subjects who were either hospitalized (n=20) or not hospitalized (n=40). To avoid confounding, subjects were matched by age, sex, ethnicity, and date of symptom onset. Surprisingly, we found that the magnitude and functional breadth of virus-specific CD4 T cell and antibody responses were consistently higher among hospitalized subjects, particularly those with medical comorbidities. However, an integrated analysis identified more coordination between polyfunctional CD4 T-cells and antibodies targeting the S1 domain of spike among subjects that were not hospitalized. These data reveal a functionally diverse and coordinated response between T cells and antibodies targeting SARS-CoV-2, which is reduced in the presence of comorbid illnesses that are known risk factors for severe COVID-19.
Authors
Krystle K.Q. Yu, Stephanie Fischinger, Malisa T. Smith, Caroline Atyeo, Deniz Cizmeci, Caitlin R. Wolf, Erik D. Layton, Jennifer K. Logue, Melissa S. Aguilar, Kiel Shuey, Carolin Loos, Jingyou Yu, Nicholas M. Franko, Robert Y. Choi, Anna Wald, Dan H. Barouch, David M. Koelle, Douglas Lauffenburger, Helen Y. Chu, Galit Alter, Chetan Seshadri
Abstract
We are reporting on a phase IIa study which aimed to determine the intubation rate, survival, viral clearance, and the development of endogenous antibodies in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia treated with convalescent plasma (CCP) containing high levels of neutralizing anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. All 51 treated patients had COVID-19 pneumonia by radiographic and laboratory evaluation. Fresh or frozen CCP from donors with high titers of neutralizing antibodies was administered. The non-mechanically ventilated patients (n=36) had an intubation rate of 13.9% and a day-30 survival of 88.9%. The overall survival for a comparative group based on network data was 72.5% (1625/2241). Patients had rates of negative nasopharyngeal swab on day +10 and +30 of 43.8% and 73% respectively. Patients mechanically ventilated had a day-30 mortality of 46.7%; the mortality for a comparative group based on network data was 71% (369/520). All evaluable patients were found to have neutralizing antibodies on day +3 (n=47), and all but 1 had antibodies on day +30 and +60. The only adverse event was a mild rash. We are concluding that in this study of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia, CCP was safe and conferred transfer of antibodies while preserving endogenous immune response.
Authors
Michele L. Donato, Steven Park, Melissa Baker, Robert Korngold, Alison Morawski, Xue Geng, Ming Tan, Andrew Ip, Stuart Goldberg, Scott D. Rowley, Kar F. Chow, Emily Brown, Joshua Zenreich, Phyllis McKiernan, Kathryn Buttner, Anna Ullrich, Laura Long, Rena Feinman, Andrea Ricourt, Marlo Kemp, Mariefel Vendivil, Hyung C. Suh, Bindu Balani, Cristina Cicogna, Rani Sebti, Abdulla Al-Khan, Steven J. Sperber, Samit Desai, Stacey L. Fanning, Danit Arad, Ronaldo C. Go, Elizabeth Tam, Keith Rose, Sean Sadikot, David S. Siegel, Martin Gutierrez, Tatyana Feldman, Andre Goy, Andrew Pecora, Noa Biran, Lori A. Leslie, Alfred Gillio, Sarah Timmapuri, Michele S. Boonstra, Sam Singer, Sukhdeep Kaur, Ernest Richards, David S. Perlin
Abstract
The development of prophylactic and therapeutic agents for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a current global health priority. Here, we investigated the presence of cross-neutralizing antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in dromedary camels that were Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)-CoV-seropositive but MERS-CoV-free. The tested 229 dromedaries had anti-MERS-CoV camel antibodies with variable cross-reactivity patterns against SARS-CoV-2 proteins, including the S trimer, M, N, and E proteins. Using SARS-CoV-2 competitive immunofluorescence immunoassays and pseudovirus neutralization assays, we found medium-to-high titers of cross-neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in these animals. Through linear B cell epitope mapping using phage immunoprecipitation sequencing and a SARS-CoV-2 peptide/proteome microarray, we identified a large repertoire of betacoronavirus cross-reactive antibody specificities in these dromedaries and demonstrated that the SARS-CoV-2-specific VHH antibody repertoire is qualitatively diverse. This analysis revealed not only several SARS-CoV-2 epitopes that are highly immunogenic in humans, including a neutralizing epitope, but also epitopes exclusively targeted by camel antibodies. The identified SARS-CoV-2 cross-neutralizing camel antibodies are not proposed as a potential treatment for COVID-19. Rather, their presence in non-immunized camels supports the development of SARS-CoV-2 hyperimmune camels, which could be a prominent source of therapeutic agents for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.
Authors
Lotfi Chouchane, Jean-Charles Grivel, Elmoubasher Farag, Igor Pavlovski, Selma Maacha, Abbirami Sathappan, Hamad Al-Romaihi, Sirin Abuaqel, Manar Ata, Aouatef Ismail Chouchane, Sami Remadi, Najeeb M. Halabi, Arash Rafii, Mohammed Al-Thani, Nico Marr, Murugan Subramanian, Jingxuan Shan
Abstract
Four endemic human coronaviruses (HCoVs) are commonly associated with acute respiratory infection in humans. B cell responses to these “common cold” viruses remain incompletely understood. Here we report a comprehensive analysis of CoV-specific antibody repertoires in 231 children and 1168 adults using phage immunoprecipitation sequencing. Seroprevalence of antibodies against endemic HCoVs ranged between approximately 4% and 27% depending on the species and cohort. We identified at least 136 novel linear B cell epitopes. Antibody repertoires against endemic HCoVs were qualitatively different between children and adults in that anti-HCoV IgG specificities more frequently found among children targeted functionally important and structurally conserved regions of the spike, nucleocapsid, and matrix proteins. Moreover, antibody specificities targeting the highly conserved fusion peptide region and S2′ cleavage site of the spike protein were broadly cross-reactive with peptides of epidemic human and nonhuman coronaviruses. In contrast, an acidic tandem repeat in the N-terminal region of the Nsp3 subdomain of the HCoV-HKU1 polyprotein was the predominant target of antibody responses in adult donors. Our findings shed light on the dominant species-specific and pan-CoV target sites of human antibody responses to coronavirus infection, thereby providing important insights for the development of prophylactic or therapeutic monoclonal antibodies and vaccine design.
Authors
Taushif Khan, Mahbuba Rahman, Fatima Al Ali, Susie S. Y. Huang, Manar Ata, Qian Zhang, Paul Bastard, Zhiyong Liu, Emmanuelle Jouanguy, Vivien Béziat, Aurélie Cobat, Gheyath K. Nasrallah, Hadi M. Yassine, Maria K. Smatti, Amira Saeed, Isabelle Vandernoot, Jean-Christophe Goffard, Guillaume Smits, Isabelle Migeotte, Filomeen Haerynck, Isabelle Meyts, Laurent Abel, Jean-Laurent Casanova, Mohammad R. Hasan, Nico Marr
Abstract
Convalescent plasma with severe acute respiratory disease coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies (CCP) may hold promise as a treatment for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We compared the mortality and clinical outcome of patients with COVID-19 who received 200 mL of CCP with a spike protein IgG titer ≥ 1:2430 (median 1:47,385) within 72 hours of admission with propensity score–matched controls cared for at a medical center in the Bronx, between April 13 and May 4, 2020. Matching criteria for controls were age, sex, body mass index, race, ethnicity, comorbidities, week of admission, oxygen requirement, D-dimer, lymphocyte counts, corticosteroid use, and anticoagulation use. There was no difference in mortality or oxygenation between CCP recipients and controls at day 28. When stratified by age, compared with matched controls, CCP recipients less than 65 years had 4-fold lower risk of mortality and 4-fold lower risk of deterioration in oxygenation or mortality at day 28. For CCP recipients, pretransfusion spike protein IgG, IgM, and IgA titers were associated with mortality at day 28 in univariate analyses. No adverse effects of CCP were observed. Our results suggest CCP may be beneficial for hospitalized patients less than 65 years, but data from controlled trials are needed to validate this finding and establish the effect of aging on CCP efficacy.
Authors
Hyun ah Yoon, Rachel Bartash, Inessa Gendlina, Johanna Rivera, Antonio Nakouzi, Robert H. Bortz III, Ariel S. Wirchnianski, Monika Paroder, Karen Fehn, Leana Serrano-Rahman, Rachelle Babb, Uzma N. Sarwar, Denise Haslwanter, Ethan Laudermilch, Catalina Florez, M. Eugenia Dieterle, Rohit K. Jangra, J. Maximilian Fels, Karen Tong, Margarette C. Mariano, Olivia Vergnolle, George I. Georgiev, Natalia G. Herrera, Ryan J. Malonis, Jose A. Quiroz, Nicholas C. Morano, Gregory J. Krause, Joseph M. Sweeney, Kelsie Cowman, Stephanie Allen, Jayabhargav Annam, Ariella Applebaum, Daniel Barboto, Ahmed Khokhar, Brianna J. Lally, Audrey Lee, Max Lee, Avinash Malaviya, Reise Sample, Xiuyi A. Yang, Yang Li, Rafael Ruiz, Raja Thota, Jason Barnhill, Doctor Y. Goldstein, Joan Uehlinger, Scott J. Garforth, Steven C. Almo, Jonathan R. Lai, Morayma Reyes Gil, Amy S. Fox, Kartik Chandran, Tao Wang, Johanna P. Daily, Liise-anne Pirofski
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has become the worst public health crisis in a century. However, knowledge about the dynamics of antibody responses in patients with COVID-19 is still poorly understood. In this study, we performed a serological study with serum specimens collected at the acute and the convalescent phases from 104 patients with severe COVID-19 who were part of the first wave of COVID-19 cases in Wuhan, China. Our findings revealed that neutralizing antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 are persistent for at least 6 months in patients with severe COVID-19, despite that IgG levels against the receptor binding domain (RBD) and nucleocapsid protein (N) IgG declined from the acute to the convalescent phase. Moreover, we demonstrate that the level of RBD-IgG is capable of correlating with SARS-CoV-2–neutralizing activities in COVID-19 serum. In summary, our findings identify the magnitude, functionality, and longevity of antibody responses in patients with COVID-19, which sheds light on the humoral immune response to COVID-19 and would be beneficial for developing vaccines.
Authors
Yang Han, Peipei Liu, Yang Qiu, Jie Zhou, Ying Liu, Xujuan Hu, Qingyu Yang, Rui Huang, Xinyue Wen, Hao Song, Pengcheng Yu, Mengjie Yang, Jing Zhang, William J. Liu, Ke Peng, Guizhen Wu, Dingyu Zhang, Xi Zhou, Ying Wu
Abstract
Background Mitochondrial DNA (MT-DNA) are intrinsically inflammatory nucleic acids released by damaged solid organs. Whether circulating cell-free MT-DNA quantitation could be used to predict the risk of poor COVID-19 outcomes remains undetermined.Methods We measured circulating MT-DNA levels in prospectively collected, cell-free plasma samples from 97 subjects with COVID-19 at hospital presentation. Our primary outcome was mortality. Intensive care unit (ICU) admission, intubation, vasopressor, and renal replacement therapy requirements were secondary outcomes. Multivariate regression analysis determined whether MT-DNA levels were independent of other reported COVID-19 risk factors. Receiver operating characteristic and area under the curve assessments were used to compare MT-DNA levels with established and emerging inflammatory markers of COVID-19.Results Circulating MT-DNA levels were highly elevated in patients who eventually died or required ICU admission, intubation, vasopressor use, or renal replacement therapy. Multivariate regression revealed that high circulating MT-DNA was an independent risk factor for these outcomes after adjusting for age, sex, and comorbidities. We also found that circulating MT-DNA levels had a similar or superior area under the curve when compared against clinically established measures of inflammation and emerging markers currently of interest as investigational targets for COVID-19 therapy.Conclusion These results show that high circulating MT-DNA levels are a potential early indicator for poor COVID-19 outcomes.Funding Washington University Institute of Clinical Translational Sciences COVID-19 Research Program and Washington University Institute of Clinical Translational Sciences (ICTS) NIH grant UL1TR002345.
Authors
Davide Scozzi, Marlene Cano, Lina Ma, Dequan Zhou, Ji Hong Zhu, Jane A. O’Halloran, Charles Goss, Adriana M. Rauseo, Zhiyi Liu, Sanjaya K. Sahu, Valentina Peritore, Monica Rocco, Alberto Ricci, Rachele Amodeo, Laura Aimati, Mohsen Ibrahim, Ramsey Hachem, Daniel Kreisel, Philip A. Mudd, Hrishikesh S. Kulkarni, Andrew E. Gelman
Abstract
The rapid spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), coupled with a lack of therapeutics, has paralyzed the globe. Although significant effort has been invested in identifying antibodies that block infection, the ability of antibodies to target infected cells through Fc interactions may be vital to eliminate the virus. To explore the role of Fc activity in SARS-CoV-2 immunity, the functional potential of a cross–SARS-reactive antibody, CR3022, was assessed. CR3022 was able to broadly drive antibody effector functions, providing critical immune clearance at entry and upon egress. Using selectively engineered Fc variants, no protection was observed after administration of WT IgG1 in mice or hamsters. Conversely, the functionally enhanced Fc variant resulted in increased pathology in both the mouse and hamster models, causing weight loss in mice and enhanced viral replication and weight loss in the more susceptible hamster model, highlighting the pathological functions of Fc-enhancing mutations. These data point to the critical need for strategic Fc engineering for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Authors
Caroline Atyeo, Matthew D. Slein, Stephanie Fischinger, John Burke, Alexandra Schäfer, Sarah R. Leist, Natalia A. Kuzmina, Chad Mire, Anna Honko, Rebecca Johnson, Nadia Storm, Matthew Bernett, Pei Tong, Teng Zuo, Junrui Lin, Adam Zuiani, Caitlyn Linde, Todd Suscovich, Duane R. Wesemann, Anthony Griffiths, John R. Desjarlais, Boris D. Juelg, Jaap Goudsmit, Alexander Bukreyev, Ralph Baric, Galit Alter
Abstract
Extrapulmonary manifestations of COVID-19 are associated with a much higher mortality rate than pulmonary manifestations. However, little is known about the pathogenesis of systemic complications of COVID-19. Here, we create a murine model of SARS-CoV-2–induced severe systemic toxicity and multiorgan involvement by expressing the human ACE2 transgene in multiple tissues via viral delivery, followed by systemic administration of SARS-CoV-2. The animals develop a profound phenotype within 7 days with severe weight loss, morbidity, and failure to thrive. We demonstrate that there is metabolic suppression of oxidative phosphorylation and the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle in multiple organs with neutrophilia, lymphopenia, and splenic atrophy, mirroring human COVID-19 phenotypes. Animals had a significantly lower heart rate, and electron microscopy demonstrated myofibrillar disarray and myocardial edema, a common pathogenic cardiac phenotype in human COVID-19. We performed metabolomic profiling of peripheral blood and identified a panel of TCA cycle metabolites that served as biomarkers of depressed oxidative phosphorylation. Finally, we observed that SARS-CoV-2 induces epigenetic changes of DNA methylation, which affects expression of immune response genes and could, in part, contribute to COVID-19 pathogenesis. Our model suggests that SARS-CoV-2–induced metabolic reprogramming and epigenetic changes in internal organs could contribute to systemic toxicity and lethality in COVID-19.
Authors
Shen Li, Feiyang Ma, Tomohiro Yokota, Gustavo Garcia Jr., Amelia Palermo, Yijie Wang, Colin Farrell, Yu-Chen Wang, Rimao Wu, Zhiqiang Zhou, Calvin Pan, Marco Morselli, Michael A. Teitell, Sergey Ryazantsev, Gregory A. Fishbein, Johanna ten Hoeve, Valerie A. Arboleda, Joshua Bloom, Barbara Dillon, Matteo Pellegrini, Aldons J. Lusis, Thomas G. Graeber, Vaithilingaraja Arumugaswami, Arjun Deb
