Characteristics of lymphocyte subsets and cytokines in peripheral blood of 123 hospitalized patients with 2019 novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP)

  1. Suxin Wan
  2. Qingjie Yi
  3. Shibing Fan
  4. Jinglong Lv
  5. Xianxiang Zhang
  6. Lian Guo
  7. Chunhui Lang
  8. Qing Xiao
  9. Kaihu Xiao
  10. Zhengjun Yi
  11. Mao Qiang
  12. Jianglin Xiang
  13. Bangshuo Zhang
  14. Yongping Chen

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Abstract

Background

To explore the cellular immunity and cytokines status of NCP patients and to predict the correlation between the cellular immunity levels, cytokines and the severity of patients.

Methods

123 NCP patients were divided into mild and severe groups. Peripheral blood was collected, lymphocyte subsets and cytokines were detected. Correlation analysis was performed on the lymphocyte subsets and cytokines, and the differences between the indexes of the two groups were analyzed.

Results

102 mild and 21 severe patients were included. Lymphocyte subsets were reduced in two groups. The proportion of CD8 + T reduction in the mild and severe group was 28.43% and 61.9%, respectively; The proportion of B cell reduction was 25.49% and 28.57%; The proportion of NK cell reduction was 34.31% and 47.62%; The detection value of IL-6 was 0 in 55.88% of the mild group, mild group has a significantly lower proportion of patients with IL-6 higher than normal than severe group; There was no significant linear correlation between the lymphocyte subsets and cytokines, while significant differences were noticed between the two groups in CD4 + T, CD8 + T, IL-6 and IL-10.

Conclusions

Low levels of CD4+T and CD8+T are common in severe NCP. IL-6 and IL-10 levels were higher in severe patients. T cell subsets and cytokines can be used as one of the basis for predicting the transition from mild to severe. Large number of samples are still needed to confirm the “warning value” of CD4 + T, CD8 + T IL-6 and IL-10.

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  1. ScreenIT

    SciScore for 10.1101/2020.02.10.20021832: (What is this?)

    Please note, not all rigor criteria are appropriate for all manuscripts.

    Table 1: Rigor

    Institutional Review Board StatementIACUC: Ethics approval: This study was approved by the ethical committee of Chongqing Three Gorges Central Hospital and informed consent was obtained from each patient.
    Consent: Ethics approval: This study was approved by the ethical committee of Chongqing Three Gorges Central Hospital and informed consent was obtained from each patient.
    Randomizationnot detected.
    Blindingnot detected.
    Power Analysisnot detected.
    Sex as a biological variablenot detected.

    Table 2: Resources

    Antibodies
    SentencesResources
    5 μL of CD3/ CD8/ CD45/ CD4 antibody (Beijing Tongshengshidai Biotechnology Co., Ltd) was added to the tube A and 5 μL of CD16 + 56/ CD45/ CDl9 antibody was added to tube B.
    CD3/
    suggested: None
    CD8/
    suggested: (GenWay Biotech Inc. Cat# GWB-8A4CD8, RRID:AB_10514023)
    CD45/
    suggested: None
    CD4
    suggested: (BioLegend Cat# 391503, RRID:AB_2721611)
    Software and Algorithms
    SentencesResources
    Statistical analysis: All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 22.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).
    SPSS
    suggested: (SPSS, RRID:SCR_002865)

    Results from OddPub: We did not detect open data. We also did not detect open code. Researchers are encouraged to share open data when possible (see Nature blog).

    Results from LimitationRecognizer: We detected the following sentences addressing limitations in the study:
    This study has several limitations. Firstly, as the largest diagnosis and treatment center for patients with NCP in Chongqing area, our hospital has more than 123 patients so far. The sample size was relatively small compared with Wuhan, where the disease originated, which may have some impact on the statistical results. But on the whole, the number of patients in this area was in the middle level for other parts of the country except Wuhan, and the research results were relatively reliable. Secondly, the humoral immunity level of the included patients was not monitored, so there was a certain deficiency in the evaluation of the immune system. Thirdly, due to the large-scale outbreak of the epidemic restricting the flow of people, data on healthy patients are lacking as blank controls. In future studies, data will be collected from healthy patients as blank controls to further explore the predictive value of peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets and cytokines for patients with 2019-nCoV infection. At the same time, we will cooperate with other designated treatment units to carry out multicenter research to include more confirmed 2019-nCoV infected patients, expand the sample size, and design more rigorous randomized controlled trials. In addition, we will strengthen the follow-up of patients who are cured and discharged, and regularly detect the patient’s peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets and cytokines.

    Results from TrialIdentifier: No clinical trial numbers were referenced.

    Results from Barzooka: We did not find any issues relating to the usage of bar graphs.

    Results from JetFighter: We did not find any issues relating to colormaps.

    Results from rtransparent:
    • Thank you for including a conflict of interest statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
    • Thank you for including a funding statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
    • No protocol registration statement was detected.

    About SciScore

    SciScore is an automated tool that is designed to assist expert reviewers by finding and presenting formulaic information scattered throughout a paper in a standard, easy to digest format. SciScore checks for the presence and correctness of RRIDs (research resource identifiers), and for rigor criteria such as sex and investigator blinding. For details on the theoretical underpinning of rigor criteria and the tools shown here, including references cited, please follow this link.

  2. Version published to 10.1101/2020.02.10.20021832v1 on medRxiv