1. Genetically determined thymic function affects strength and duration of immune response in COVID patients with pneumonia.
- Author
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Roux HM, Marouf A, Dutrieux J, Charmeteau-De Muylder B, Figueiredo-Morgado S, Avettand-Fenoel V, Cuvelier P, Naudin C, Bouaziz F, Geri G, Couëdel-Courteille A, Squara P, Marullo S, and Cheynier R
- Subjects
- Humans, Thymus Gland, SARS-CoV-2, Genotype, COVID-19 genetics, Pneumonia
- Abstract
Thymic activation improves the outcome of COVID-19 patients with severe pneumonia. The rs2204985 genetic polymorphism within the TCRA-TCRD locus, which affects thymic output in healthy individuals, was found here to modify SARS-CoV-2-specific immunity and disease severity in COVID-19 patients with severe pneumonia. Forty patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia were investigated. The GG genotype at the rs2204985 locus was associated, independently of age and sex, with stronger and long-lasting anti-SARS-CoV-2 helper and cytotoxic T cell responses 6 months after recovery. The GG genotype was also associated with less severe lung involvement, higher thymic production, and higher counts of blood naïve T lymphocytes, including recent thymic emigrants, and a larger population of activated stem cell memory CD4
+ T cells. Overall, GG patients developed a more robust and sustained immunity to SARS-CoV-2. Polymorphism at rs2204985 locus should be considered as an additional predictive marker of anti-SARS-CoV-2 immune response.- Published
- 2023
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