The percentage of Monocytes CD39+ is higher in Pregnant COVID-19 than in Non-Pregnant COVID-19 patients

Cérbulo-Vázquez, A.; García-Espinosa, M.; Briones-Garduño, J.C.; Arriaga-Pizano, L.; Ferat-Osorio, E.; Zavala-Barrios, B.; Cabrera-Rivera, G.L.; Miranda-Cruz, P.; García de la Rosa, M.T.; Prieto-Chávez, J.L.; Rivero-Arredondo, V.; Madera-Sandoval, R.L.; Cruz-Cruz, A.; Salazar-Rios, E.; Salazar-Rios, ME; Serrano-Molina, D; De Lira-Barraza, R. C.; Villanueva-Compean, A. H.; Esquivel-Pineda, A.; Ramirez-Montes de Oca, R.; Caldiño-Soto, F.; Ramírez-García, L.A.; Flores-Padilla, G.; Moreno-Álvarez, O.; Guerrero-Avendaño, GML; López-Macías, C.

Current medical guidelines consider COVID-19 pregnant women a high-risk group. Physiological gestation down regulates the immunological response to maintain “maternal-fetal tolerance”; hence, a SARS-CoV-2 infection constitutes a potentially threatening condition to both the mother and the fetus. To establish the immune profile in pregnant COVID-19+ patients a cross-sectional study was conducted. Leukocyte immunophenotype, mononuclear leukocyte response to polyclonal stimulus and cytokine/chemokine serum concentration were analyzed in pregnant fifteen COVID-19+ and control groups (fifteen non-pregnant COVID-19+, and thirteen pregnant COVID-19-women). Pregnant COVID-19+ patients exhibit lower percentages of monocytes HLA-DR+ compared with control groups. Nevertheless, pregnant COVID-19+ women show a higher percentage of monocytes CD39+ than controls. Furthermore, a higher concentration of TNF-α, IL-6, MIP1b and IL-4 was observed within the pregnant COVID-19+ group. Our result shows that pregnant women express immunological characteristics that potentially mediate the immune response in COVID-19.