scholarly journals Untuned antiviral immunity in COVID-19 revealed by temporal type I/III interferon patterns and flu comparison

Author(s):  
Ioanna Evdokia Galani ◽  
Nikoletta Rovina ◽  
Vicky Lampropoulou ◽  
Vasiliki Triantafyllia ◽  
Maria Manioudaki ◽  
...  

A central paradigm of immunity is that interferon (IFN) mediated antiviral responses precede the pro-inflammatory ones, optimizing host protection and minimizing collateral damage. Here, we report that for COVID-19 this does not apply. By investigating temporal IFN and inflammatory cytokine patterns in 32 COVID-19 patients hospitalized for pneumonia and longitudinally followed for the development of respiratory failure and death, we reveal that IFN-λ and type I IFN production is both diminished and delayed, induced only in a fraction of patients as they become critically ill. On the contrary, pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF, IL-6 and IL-8 are produced before IFNs, in all patients, and persist for a prolonged time. By comparison, in 16 flu patients hospitalized for pneumonia with similar clinicopathological characteristics to COVID-19 and 24 milder non-hospitalized flu patients IFN-λ and type I IFN are robustly induced, earlier, at higher levels and independently of disease severity, while pro-inflammatory cytokines are only acutely and transiently produced. Notably, higher IFN-λ levels in COVID-19 patients correlate with lower viral load in bronchial aspirates and faster viral clearance, and a higher IFN-λ:type I IFN ratio with improved outcome of critically ill patients. Moreover, altered cytokine patterns in COVID-19 patients correlate with longer hospitalization time and higher incidence of critical disease and mortality compared to flu. These data point to an untuned antiviral response in COVID-19 contributing to persistent viral presence, hyperinflammation and respiratory failure.

2007 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 1512-1514 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Schröder ◽  
A.G. Bowie

Viral recognition is mediated by different classes of PRRs (pattern-recognition receptors) among which the TLRs (Toll-like receptors) and the RLHs [RIG (retinoic-acid-inducible)-like helicases] play major roles. The detection of PAMPs (pathogen-associated molecular patterns) by these PRRs leads to the initiation of signalling pathways that ultimately result in the activation of transcription factors such as NF-κB (nuclear factor κB) and IRF-3 [IFN (interferon) regulatory factor-3] and IRF-7 and the induction of pro-inflammatory cytokines and type I IFNs. Viruses have evolved a fine-tuned mechanism to evade detection by the immune system or to interfere with the resulting signalling pathways. Here, we discuss viral evasion proteins that specifically interfere with TLR and/or RLH signalling.


Cells ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 1205
Author(s):  
Tianhong Chen ◽  
Wenjuan Zhang ◽  
Bo Huang ◽  
Xuan Chen ◽  
Cao Huang

Mutations of Ubiquilin 2 (UBQLN2) or TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1) are associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal degeneration (ALS/FTD). However, the mechanisms whereby UBQLN2 or TBK1 mutations lead to ALS and FTD remain unclear. Here, we explored the effect of UBQLN2 on TBK1 in HEK-293T cells or in CRISPR–Cas9-mediated IRF3 and IRF7 knockout (KO) cells. We found an interaction between TBK1 and UBQLN2, which was affected by ALS/FTD-linked mutations in TBK1 or UBQLN2. Co-expression of UBQLN2 with TBK1 elevated the protein level of TBK1 as well as the phosphorylation of TBK1 and IRF3 in a UBQLN2 dose-dependent manner, and this phosphorylation was reduced by mutant UBQLN2. In addition, the cellular production of IFN1 and related pro-inflammatory cytokines was substantially elevated when UBQLN2 and TBK1 were co-expressed, which was also decreased by mutant UBQLN2. Functional assay revealed that mutant UBQLN2 significantly reduced the binding affinity of TBK1 for its partners, including IRF3, (SQSTM1)/p62 and optineurin (OPTN). Moreover, complete loss of IRF3 abolished the induction of IFN1 and related pro-inflammatory cytokines enhanced by UBQLN2 in HEK-293T cells, whereas no significant change in IRF7 knockout cells was observed. Thus, our findings suggest that UBQLN2 promotes IRF3 phosphorylation via TBK1, leading to enhanced IFN1 induction, and also imply that the dysregulated TBK1-IRF3 pathway may play a role in UBQLN2-related neurodegeneration.


2020 ◽  
pp. 088506662091298
Author(s):  
Suresh Kumar Angurana ◽  
Arun Bansal ◽  
Jayashree Muralidharan ◽  
Ritu Aggarwal ◽  
Sunit Singhi

Objective: To study the baseline cytokine levels and their relation with the severity of illness and mortality in critically ill children with severe sepsis. Design: Subgroup analysis of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Setting: Pediatric intensive care unit of a tertiary level teaching hospital in India. Patients: Fifty children with severe sepsis aged 3 months to 12 years. Material and Methods: Blood was collected at admission for estimation of pro-inflammatory (interleukin 6 [IL-6], IL-12p70, IL-17, and tumor necrotic factor α [TNF-α]) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10 and transforming growth factor β1 [TGF-β1]) cytokines. Primary Outcome: To find out correlation between cytokine levels and severity of illness scores (Pediatric Risk of Mortality [PRISM] III score, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment [SOFA], and Vasoactive-Inotropic Score [VIS]). Secondary Outcomes: To compare cytokine levels among survivors and nonsurvivors. Results: Baseline pro-inflammatory cytokine levels (median [interquartile range]) were IL-6: 189 (35-285) pg/mL, IL-12p: 48 (28-98) pg/mL, IL-17: 240 (133-345) pg/mL, and TNF-α: 296 (198-430) pg/mL; anti-inflammatory cytokine levels were IL-10: 185 (62-395) pg/mL and TGF-β1: 204 (92-290) ng/mL. Pro-inflammatory cytokines showed positive correlation with PRISM III score: IL-6 (Spearman correlation coefficient, ρ = 0.273, P = .06), IL-12 (ρ = 0.367, P = .01), IL-17 (ρ = 0.197, P = .17), and TNF-α (ρ = 0.284, P = .05), and anti-inflammatory cytokines showed negative correlation: IL-10 (ρ = −0.257, P = .09) and TGF-β (ρ = −0.238, P = .11). Both SOFA and VIS also showed weak positive correlation with IL-12 (ρ = 0.32, P = .03 and ρ = 0.31, P = .03, respectively). Among nonsurvivors (n = 5), the levels of all the measured pro-inflammatory cytokines were significantly higher as compared to survivors, IL-6: 359 (251-499) pg/mL versus 157 (97-223) pg/mL, P < .0001, IL-12p70: 167 (133-196) pg/mL versus 66 (30-100) pg/mL, P < .0001, IL-17: 400 (333-563) pg/mL versus 237 (122-318) pg/mL, P = .009, and TNF-α: 409 (355-503) pg/mL versus 330 (198-415) pg/mL, P = .002, respectively. Conclusion: In critically ill children with severe sepsis, pro-inflammatory cytokines (especially IL-12p70) showed a weak positive correlation with severity of illness and were significantly higher among nonsurvivors.


Cytokine ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 266-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei-Bei Wang ◽  
Chien-Kuo Lee

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jintao Zhang ◽  
Chunyuan Zhao ◽  
Wei Zhao

The global expansion of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has emerged as one of the greatest public health challenges and imposes a great threat to human health. Innate immunity plays vital roles in eliminating viruses through initiating type I interferons (IFNs)-dependent antiviral responses and inducing inflammation. Therefore, optimal activation of innate immunity and balanced type I IFN responses and inflammation are beneficial for efficient elimination of invading viruses. However, SARS-CoV-2 manipulates the host’s innate immune system by multiple mechanisms, leading to aberrant type I IFN responses and excessive inflammation. In this review, we will emphasize the recent advances in the understanding of the crosstalk between host innate immunity and SARS-CoV-2 to explain the imbalance between inflammation and type I IFN responses caused by viral infection, and explore potential therapeutic targets for COVID-19.


2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 383-391 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. Piazza ◽  
E. Leggiero ◽  
G. De Benedictis ◽  
L. Pastore ◽  
F. Salvatore ◽  
...  

2010 ◽  
Vol 84 (14) ◽  
pp. 7140-7150 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Chico ◽  
A. Martinez-Lopez ◽  
M. Ortega-Villaizan ◽  
A. Falco ◽  
L. Perez ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Surface glycoproteins of enveloped virus are potent elicitors of type I interferon (IFN)-mediated antiviral responses in a way that may be independent of the well-studied genome-mediated route. However, the viral glycoprotein determinants responsible for initiating the IFN response remain unidentified. In this study, we have used a collection of 60 synthetic 20-mer overlapping peptides (pepscan) spanning the full length of glycoprotein G (gpG) of viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) to investigate what regions of this protein are implicated in triggering the type I IFN-associated immune responses. Briefly, two regions with ability to increase severalfold the basal expression level of the IFN-stimulated mx gene and to restrict the spread of virus among responder cells were mapped to amino acid residues 280 to 310 and 340 to 370 of the gpG protein of VHSV. In addition, the results obtained suggest that an interaction between VHSV gpG and integrins might trigger the host IFN-mediated antiviral response after VHSV infection. Since it is known that type I IFN plays an important role in determining/modulating the protective-antigen-specific immune responses, the identification of viral glycoprotein determinants directly implicated in the type I IFN induction might be of special interest for designing new adjuvants and/or more-efficient and cost-effective viral vaccines as well as for improving our knowledge on how to stimulate the innate immune system.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lan Yang ◽  
Xueru Xie ◽  
Zikun Tu ◽  
Jinrong Fu ◽  
Damo Xu ◽  
...  

AbstractThe Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has become a global crisis and is more devastating than any other previous infectious disease. It has affected a significant proportion of the global population both physically and mentally, and destroyed businesses and societies. Current evidence suggested that immunopathology may be responsible for COVID-19 pathogenesis, including lymphopenia, neutrophilia, dysregulation of monocytes and macrophages, reduced or delayed type I interferon (IFN-I) response, antibody-dependent enhancement, and especially, cytokine storm (CS). The CS is characterized by hyperproduction of an array of pro-inflammatory cytokines and is closely associated with poor prognosis. These excessively secreted pro-inflammatory cytokines initiate different inflammatory signaling pathways via their receptors on immune and tissue cells, resulting in complicated medical symptoms including fever, capillary leak syndrome, disseminated intravascular coagulation, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and multiorgan failure, ultimately leading to death in the most severe cases. Therefore, it is clinically important to understand the initiation and signaling pathways of CS to develop more effective treatment strategies for COVID-19. Herein, we discuss the latest developments in the immunopathological characteristics of COVID-19 and focus on CS including the current research status of the different cytokines involved. We also discuss the induction, function, downstream signaling, and existing and potential interventions for targeting these cytokines or related signal pathways. We believe that a comprehensive understanding of CS in COVID-19 will help to develop better strategies to effectively control immunopathology in this disease and other infectious and inflammatory diseases.


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