Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medical Sciences, College of Health and Allied Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
PLoS One. 2022 Sep 12;17(9):e0273969. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273969. eCollection 2022.
The rapid spread of COVID-19 has been a global public health problem and it is yet to be put under control. Active COVID-19 is associated with unrestrained secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines and imbalances in haematological profile including anaemia, leukocytosis and thrombocytopaenia. However, the haematological profile and immune status following recovery from COVID-19 has not been recognized. We evaluated the immunohaematological profile among COVID-19 patients with active infection, recovered cases and unexposed healthy individuals in the Ashanti region of Ghana.
A total of 95 adult participants, consisting of 35 positive, 30 recovered and 30 unexposed COVID-19 negative individuals confirmed by RT-PCR were recruited for the study. All the patients had the complete blood count performed using the haematological analyzer Sysmex XN-1500. Their plasma cytokine levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17, tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interferon gamma (IFN-γ) were analysed using ELISA. Statistical analyses were performed on R statistical software.
The Patients with COVID-19 active infection had significantly higher levels of IL10 (181±6.14 pg/mL vs 155.00±14.32 pg/mL vs 158.80±11.70 pg/mL, p = 0.038), WBC count (5.5±0.4 x109 /L vs 4.5±0.6 x109 /L vs 3.8±0.5, p < 0.0001) and percentage basophil (1.8±0.1% vs 0.8±0.3% vs 0.7±0.2%, p = 0.0040) but significantly lower levels of IFN-γ (110.10±9.52 pg/mL vs 142.80±5.46 pg/mL vs 140.80±6.39 pg/mL, p = 0.021), haematocrit (24.1±3.7% vs 38.3± 3.0% vs 38.5±2.2%, p < 0.0001), haemoglobin concentration (9.4±0.1g/dl vs 12.5± 5.0g/dl vs 12.7±0.8, p < 0.0001) and MPV (9.8±0.2fL vs 11.1±0.5fL vs 11.6±0.3fL, p < 0.0001) compared to recovered and unexposed controls respectively. There were significant association between IL-1β & neutrophils (r = 0.42, p<0.05), IL-10 & WBC (r = 0.39, p<0.05), IL-10 & Basophils (r = -0.51, p<0.01), IL-17 & Neutrophil (r = 0.39, p<0.05) in the active COVID-19 cases.
COVID-19 active infection is associated with increased IL-10 and WBC with a concomitant decrease in IFN-γ and haemoglobin concentration. However, recovery from the disease is associated with immune recovery with appareantly normal haematological profile.
COVID-19 的迅速传播是一个全球性的公共卫生问题，目前仍未得到控制。活动性 COVID-19 与促炎细胞因子的不受控制的分泌以及包括贫血、白细胞增多和血小板减少症在内的血液学特征失衡有关。然而，从 COVID-19 中恢复后的血液学特征和免疫状态尚未得到认识。我们评估了加纳阿散蒂地区活动性感染、已康复和未暴露的健康个体的 COVID-19 患者的免疫血液学特征。
共招募了 95 名成年参与者，包括 35 名阳性、30 名已康复和 30 名未暴露的 COVID-19 阴性个体，通过 RT-PCR 确认为阳性。所有患者均使用血液学分析仪 Sysmex XN-1500 进行全血细胞计数。使用 ELISA 分析他们的白细胞介素 (IL)-1β、IL-6、IL-10、IL-17、肿瘤坏死因子-α (TNF-α) 和干扰素-γ (IFN-γ) 的血浆细胞因子水平。统计分析在 R 统计软件上进行。
患有活动性 COVID-19 的患者的 IL10 水平明显更高（181±6.14 pg/mL 与 155.00±14.32 pg/mL 与 158.80±11.70 pg/mL，p = 0.038）、白细胞计数（5.5±0.4 x109 /L 与 4.5±0.6 x109 /L 与 3.8±0.5，p < 0.0001）和嗜碱性粒细胞百分比（1.8±0.1% 与 0.8±0.3% 与 0.7±0.2%，p = 0.0040），但 IFN-γ 水平明显更低（110.10±9.52 pg/mL 与 142.80±5.46 pg/mL 与 140.80±6.39 pg/mL，p = 0.021）、血细胞比容（24.1±3.7% 与 38.3± 3.0% 与 38.5±2.2%，p < 0.0001）、血红蛋白浓度（9.4±0.1g/dl 与 12.5± 5.0g/dl 与 12.7±0.8，p < 0.0001）和血小板体积（9.8±0.2fL 与 11.1±0.5fL 与 11.6±0.3fL，p < 0.0001）与已康复和未暴露的对照组相比分别。在活动性 COVID-19 病例中，IL-1β 和中性粒细胞之间存在显著的相关性（r = 0.42，p<0.05）、IL-10 和白细胞（r = 0.39，p<0.05）、IL-10 和嗜碱性粒细胞（r = -0.51，p<0.01）、IL-17 和中性粒细胞（r = 0.39，p<0.05）。
COVID-19 活动性感染与 IL-10 和白细胞增多有关，同时 IFN-γ 和血红蛋白浓度降低。然而，从疾病中恢复与免疫恢复有关，血液学特征明显正常。
