|
?:abstract
|
-
BACKGROUND: We previously reported that lymphocytopenia and T cell exhaustion is notable in acute COVID19 patients, especially in aged and severe cases Thymosin alpha 1 (Talpha1) had been used in the treatment of viral infections as an immune response modifier for many years However, clinical benefits and mechanism of Talpha1 supplement to COVID-19 are still unclear METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical outcomes of 76 severe cases with COVID-19 admitted into two hospitals in Wuhan from December 2019 to March 2020 The thymus output in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from COVID-19 patients was measured by T cell receptor excision circles (TREC) The levels of T cell exhaustion markers PD-1 and Tim-3 on CD8+ T cells were detected by flow cytometry RESULTS: Compared with untreated group, Talpha1 treatment significantly reduces mortality of severe COVID-19 patients (11 11% vs 30 00%, p=0 044) Talpha1 timely enhances blood T cell numbers in COVID-19 patients with severe lymphocytopenia (the counts of CD8+ T cells or CD4+ T cells in circulation lower than 400/muL or 650/muL, respectively) Under such conditions, Talpha1 also successfully restores CD8+ and CD4+ T cell numbers in aged patients Meanwhile, Talpha1 reduces PD-1 and Tim-3 expression on CD8+ T cells from severe COVID-19 patients in comparison with untreated cases It is of note that restoration of lymphocytopenia and acute exhaustion of T cells are roughly parallel to the rise of TRECs CONCLUSIONS: Talpha1 supplement significantly reduce mortality of severe COVID-19 patients COVID-19 patients with the counts of CD8+ T cells or CD4+ T cells in circulation lower than 400/muL or 650/muL, respectively, gain more benefits from Talpha1 Talpha1 reverses T cell exhaustion and recovers immune reconstitution through promoting thymus output during SARS-CoV-2 infection
|
![[This page as RDF]](https://research.tib.eu/covid-19/static/rdf-icon.gif){kind=icon}