Persistence of SARS CoV-2 S1 Protein in CD16+ Monocytes in Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) up to 15 Months Post-Infection
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Abstract
The recent COVID-19 pandemic is a treatment challenge in the acute infection stage but the recognition of chronic COVID-19 symptoms termed post-acute sequelae SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) may affect up to 30% of all infected individuals. The underlying mechanism and source of this distinct immunologic condition three months or more after initial infection remains elusive. Here, we investigated the presence of SARS-CoV-2 S1 protein in 46 individuals. We analyzed T-cell, B-cell, and monocytic subsets in both severe COVID-19 patients and in patients with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC). The levels of both intermediate (CD14+, CD16+) and non-classical monocyte (CD14Lo, CD16+) were significantly elevated in PASC patients up to 15 months post-acute infection compared to healthy controls (P=0.002 and P=0.01, respectively). A statistically significant number of non-classical monocytes contained SARS-CoV-2 S1 protein in both severe (P=0.004) and PASC patients (P=0.02) out to 15 months post-infection. Non-classical monocytes were sorted from PASC patients using flow cytometric sorting and the SARS-CoV-2 S1 protein was confirmed by mass spectrometry. Cells from 4 out of 11 severe COVID-19 patients and 1 out of 26 PASC patients contained ddPCR+ peripheral blood mononuclear cells, however, only fragmented SARS-CoV-2 RNA was found in PASC patients. No full length sequences were identified, and no sequences that could account for the observed S1 protein were identified in any patient. That non-classical monocytes may be a source of inflammation in PASC warrants further study.
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SciScore for 10.1101/2021.06.25.449905: (What is this?)
Please note, not all rigor criteria are appropriate for all manuscripts.
Table 1: Rigor
Ethics Consent: Patients: Following informed consent, whole blood was collected in a 10 mL EDTA tube and a 10 mL plasma preparation tube (PPT). Sex as a biological variable not detected. Randomization not detected. Blinding not detected. Power Analysis not detected. Table 2: Resources
Antibodies Sentences Resources Cells were stained and analyzed using a 17-color antibody cocktail (Supplementary Table 1) including a PE-labeled SARS-CoV-2 S1 antibody (Supplementary Table 1). SARS-CoV-2 S1suggested: Nonewith Alexa Fluor® 488 Anti-CD45 antibody (IncellDx, 1/100 dilution), 2.5 ug of Alexa Fluor® 647 Anti-CD16 antibody (BD, Cat. # 55710), and 1 ug of PerCP/Cy5.5 Anti-human CD14 antibody (Biolegend, Cat. #325622). Anti-…SciScore for 10.1101/2021.06.25.449905: (What is this?)
Please note, not all rigor criteria are appropriate for all manuscripts.
Table 1: Rigor
Ethics Consent: Patients: Following informed consent, whole blood was collected in a 10 mL EDTA tube and a 10 mL plasma preparation tube (PPT). Sex as a biological variable not detected. Randomization not detected. Blinding not detected. Power Analysis not detected. Table 2: Resources
Antibodies Sentences Resources Cells were stained and analyzed using a 17-color antibody cocktail (Supplementary Table 1) including a PE-labeled SARS-CoV-2 S1 antibody (Supplementary Table 1). SARS-CoV-2 S1suggested: Nonewith Alexa Fluor® 488 Anti-CD45 antibody (IncellDx, 1/100 dilution), 2.5 ug of Alexa Fluor® 647 Anti-CD16 antibody (BD, Cat. # 55710), and 1 ug of PerCP/Cy5.5 Anti-human CD14 antibody (Biolegend, Cat. #325622). Anti-CD45suggested: NoneAnti-CD16suggested: (AnaSpec; EGT Group Cat# 55710P, RRID:AB_10634793)Anti-human CD14suggested: (BioLegend Cat# 325622, RRID:AB_893250)Software and Algorithms Sentences Resources The fluorescence data were then analyzed with QuantaSoft 1.7 and QuantaSoft Analysis Pro 1.0 Software (Bio-Rad, Hercules, CA, USA). QuantaSoftsuggested: NoneQuantaSoft Analysis Prosuggested: NoneAcquired data were saved in both centroid and profile mode using Agilent Masshunter Workstation B09 Data acquisition Software. Agilent Masshuntersuggested: (Agilent MassHunter Qualitative Analysis, RRID:SCR_019081)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: An explicit section about the limitations of the techniques employed in this study was not found. We encourage authors to address study limitations.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: Please consider improving the rainbow (“jet”) colormap(s) used on page 22. At least one figure is not accessible to readers with colorblindness and/or is not true to the data, i.e. not perceptually uniform.
Results from rtransparent:- Thank you for including a conflict of interest statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
- No funding statement was detected.
- No protocol registration statement was detected.
Results from scite Reference Check: We found no unreliable references.
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