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Article

T Regulatory Cell Subsets Do Not Restore for One Year After Acute COVID-19

Almazov National Medical Research Centre, 197341 St. Petersburg, Russia
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Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(21), 11759; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252111759
Submission received: 10 September 2024 / Revised: 24 October 2024 / Accepted: 26 October 2024 / Published: 1 November 2024
(This article belongs to the Section Molecular Immunology)

Abstract

COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, triggers a complex immune response, with T regulatory cells (Tregs) playing a crucial role in maintaining immune homeostasis and preventing excessive inflammation. The current study investigates the function of T regulatory cells during COVID-19 infection and the subsequent recovery period, emphasizing their impact on immune regulation and inflammation control. We conducted a comprehensive analysis of Treg subpopulations in peripheral blood samples from COVID-19 patients at different stages: acute infection, early convalescence, and long-term recovery. Flow cytometry was employed to quantify Tregs including “naïve”, central memory (CM), effector memory (EM), and terminally differentiated CD45RA+ effector cells (TEMRA). Additionally, the functional state of the Tregs was assessed by the expression of purinergic signaling molecules (CD39, CD73). Cytokine profiles were assessed through multiplex analysis. Our findings indicate a significant decrease in the number of Tregs during the acute phase of COVID-19, which correlates with heightened inflammatory markers and increased disease severity. Specifically, we found a decrease in the relative numbers of “naïve” and an increase in EM Tregs, as well as a decrease in the absolute numbers of “naïve” and CM Tregs. During the early convalescent period, the absolute counts of all Treg populations tended to increase, accompanied by a reduction in pro-inflammatory cytokines. Despite this, one year after recovery, the decreased subpopulations of regulatory T cells had not yet reached the levels observed in healthy donors. Finally, we observed the re-establishment of CD39 expression in all Treg subsets; however, there was no change in CD73 expression among Tregs. Understanding these immunological changes across different T regulatory subsets and adenosine signaling pathways offers important insights into the disease’s pathogenesis and provides a broader view of immune system dynamics during recovery.
Keywords: COVID-19; T regulatory cells; convalescent period; purinergic signaling; multicolor flow cytometry COVID-19; T regulatory cells; convalescent period; purinergic signaling; multicolor flow cytometry

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Aquino, A.; Zaikova, E.; Kalinina, O.; Karonova, T.L.; Rubinstein, A.; Mikhaylova, A.A.; Kudryavtsev, I.; Golovkin, A.S. T Regulatory Cell Subsets Do Not Restore for One Year After Acute COVID-19. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25, 11759. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252111759

AMA Style

Aquino A, Zaikova E, Kalinina O, Karonova TL, Rubinstein A, Mikhaylova AA, Kudryavtsev I, Golovkin AS. T Regulatory Cell Subsets Do Not Restore for One Year After Acute COVID-19. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2024; 25(21):11759. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252111759

Chicago/Turabian Style

Aquino, Arthur, Ekaterina Zaikova, Olga Kalinina, Tatiana L. Karonova, Artem Rubinstein, Arina A. Mikhaylova, Igor Kudryavtsev, and Alexey S. Golovkin. 2024. "T Regulatory Cell Subsets Do Not Restore for One Year After Acute COVID-19" International Journal of Molecular Sciences 25, no. 21: 11759. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252111759

APA Style

Aquino, A., Zaikova, E., Kalinina, O., Karonova, T. L., Rubinstein, A., Mikhaylova, A. A., Kudryavtsev, I., & Golovkin, A. S. (2024). T Regulatory Cell Subsets Do Not Restore for One Year After Acute COVID-19. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 25(21), 11759. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252111759

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