Cited by 1,461COVID-19 Clinical Research StudiesSARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 ResearchInflammation biomarkers and pathways

Severe COVID-19 Is Marked by a Dysregulated Myeloid Cell Compartment

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Schulte-Schrepping, Jonas, Reusch, Nico, Paclik, Daniela, Baßler, Kevin, Schlickeiser, Stephan, Zhang, Bowen, Krämer, Benjamin, Krammer, Tobias +130 more·2020·Cell

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Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a mild to moderate respiratory tract infection, however, a subset of patients progress to severe disease and respiratory failure. The mechanism of protective immunity in mild forms and the pathogenesis of severe COVID-19 associated with increased neutrophil counts and dysregulated immune responses remain unclear. In a dual-center, two-cohort study, we combined single-cell RNA-sequencing and single-cell proteomics of whole-blood and peripheral-blood mononuclear cells to determine changes in immune cell composition and activation in mild versus severe COVID-19 (242 samples from 109 individuals) over time. HLA-DR hi CD11c hi inflammatory monocytes with an interferon-stimulated gene signature were elevated in mild COVID-19. Severe COVID-19 was marked by occurrence of neutrophil precursors, as evidence of emergency myelopoiesis, dysfunctional mature neutrophils, and HLA-DR lo monocytes. Our study provides detailed insights into the systemic immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and reveals profound alterations in the myeloid cell compartment associated with severe COVID-19.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.cell.2020.08.001

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  • An early transient wave of ISG expression in cells of the innate immune system, particularly monocytes, was determined by scRNA-seq.

    “An early transient wave of ISG expression in cells of the innate immune system, particularly monocytes, was also determined by scRNA-seq (Schulte-Schrepping et al., 2020).”

    From COVID-19 and the human innate immune system (2021) · cites this paper as Schulte-Schrepping et al., 2020

  • Mild COVID-19 features circulating HLA-DRhi CD11chi inflammatory monocytes with an interferon-stimulated gene signature, while severe cases show neutrophil precursors and dysfunctional PD-L1-expressing mature neutrophils.

    “Mild COVID-19 patients were marked by circulating HLA-DR hi CD11c hi inflammatory monocytes with an interferon-stimulated gene signature”

    From COVID-19 and the human innate immune system (2021) · cites this paper as Schulte-Schrepping et al., 2020

  • Single-cell transcriptomics of circulating innate immune cells supports a general IFN response in all COVID-19 patients with a strong temporal component.

    “Single-cell transcriptomics of circulating innate immune cells strongly support a general IFN response in all COVID-19 patients with a strong temporal component”

    From COVID-19 and the human innate immune system (2021) · cites this paper as Schulte-Schrepping et al., 2020

  • Peripheral blood from mild COVID-19 patients contained more classical monocytes with an early and transient type I interferon signature.

    “Peripheral blood of mild COVID-19 patients contained more classical monocytes (CD14+CD16−) exhibiting an early and transient type I IFN signature109,110.”

    From SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 and the aging immune system (2021) · cites this paper as [110]

  • HLA-DR expression on monocytes from severe COVID-19 patients is lower than on monocytes from mild patients.

    “HLA-DR expression on monocytes from severe COVID-19 patients is also reduced relative to those from mild patients109,110,112,122.”

    From SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 and the aging immune system (2021) · cites this paper as [110]

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Authors
Schulte-Schrepping, J., Reusch, N., Paclik, D., Baßler, K., Schlickeiser, S., Zhang, B., Krämer, B., Krammer, T., Brumhard, S., Bonaguro, L., De Domenico, E., Wendisch, D., Grasshoff, M., Kapellos, T. S., Beckstette, M., Pecht, T., Saglam, A., Dietrich, O., Mei, H. E., Schulz, A. R., Conrad, C., Kunkel, D., Vafadarnejad, E., Xu, C.-J., Horne, A., Herbert, M., Drews, A., Thibeault, C., Pfeiffer, M., Hippenstiel, S., Hocke, A., Müller-Redetzky, H., Heim, K.-M., Machleidt, F., Uhrig, A., Bosquillon de Jarcy, L., Jürgens, L., Stegemann, M., Glösenkamp, C. R., Volk, H.-D., Goffinet, C., Landthaler, M., Wyler, E., Georg, P., Schneider, M., Dang-Heine, C., Neuwinger, N., Kappert, K., Tauber, R., Corman, V., Raabe, J., Kaiser, K. M., Vinh, M. T., Rieke, G., Meisel, C., Ulas, T., Becker, M., Geffers, R., Witzenrath, M., Drosten, C., Suttorp, N., von Kalle, C., Kurth, F., Händler, K., Schultze, J. L., Aschenbrenner, A. C., Li, Y., Nattermann, J., Sawitzki, B., Saliba, A.-E., Sander, L. E., Angelov, A., Bals, R., Bartholomäus, A., Becker, A., Bezdan, D., Bonifacio, E., Bork, P., Clavel, T., Colome-Tatche, M., Diefenbach, A., Dilthey, A., Fischer, N., Förstner, K., Frick, J.-S., Gagneur, J., Goesmann, A., Hain, T., Hummel, M., Janssen, S., Kalinowski, J., Kallies, R., Kehr, B., Keller, A., Kim-Hellmuth, S., Klein, C., Kohlbacher, O., Korbel, J. O., Kurth, I., Landthaler, M., Li, Y., Ludwig, K., Makarewicz, O., Marz, M., McHardy, A., Mertes, C., Nöthen, M., Nürnberg, P., Ohler, U., Ossowski, S., Overmann, J., Peter, S., Pfeffer, K., Poetsch, A. R., Pühler, A., Rajewsky, N., Ralser, M., Rieß, O., Ripke, S., Nunes da Rocha, U., Rosenstiel, P., Saliba, A.-E., Sander, L. E., Sawitzki, B., Schiffer, P., Schulte, E.-C., Schultze, J. L., Sczyrba, A., Stegle, O., Stoye, J., Theis, F., Vehreschild, J., Vogel, J., von Kleist, M., Walker, A., Walter, J., Wieczorek, D., & Ziebuhr, J.
Affiliations
  • University of Bonn (DE)
  • Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (DE)
  • Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin (DE)
  • Medizinische Hochschule Hannover (DE)
  • University Hospital Bonn (DE)
  • Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (DE)
  • German Rheumatism Research Centre (DE)
  • Radboud University Nijmegen (NL)
  • German Center for Lung Research (DE)
  • Max Delbrück Center (DE)
  • Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (DE)
  • German Center for Infection Research (DE)
  • University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (DE)
ORCID
Venue
Cell
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2020-09
Volume
182
Issue
6
Pages
1419-1440.e23
ISSN
0092-8674 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3047402958
Cited by
1,461
References
146
Citations by year
2026: 107 · 2025: 152 · 2024: 157 · 2023: 232 · 2022: 346 · 2021: 380 · 2020: 86
FWCI
34.40
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Cell (publishedVersion)
  • medRxiv (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • bonndoc (University of Bonn) (submittedVersion)
  • MDC Repository (Max-Delbrueck-Center for Molecular Medicine) (submittedVersion)
  • DZNE Pub (submittedVersion)
  • PUB – Publications at Bielefeld University (Bielefeld University) (submittedVersion)
  • HZI (Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
Funders
  • European Commission
  • Radboud Universitair Medisch Centrum
  • Helmholtz Association
  • Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung
  • Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
  • Deutsches Zentrum für Infektionsforschung
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Inflammation biomarkers and pathways
Keywords
severe COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, myeloid cells, inflammatory monocytes, neutrophils, emergency myelopoiesis, neutrophil dysfunction, HLA-DR, interferon-stimulated genes, immune dysregulation, peripheral blood mononuclear cells, single-cell RNA sequencing, single-cell proteomics, disease severity
MeSH terms
COVID-19, Adult, Aged, Cells, Cultured, Female, HLA-DR Antigens, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Pneumonia, Viral, Coronavirus Infections, CD11 Antigens, Proteome, Myeloid Cells, Myelopoiesis, Proteomics, Pandemics, Single-Cell Analysis

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