Dynamic changes of peripheral blood lymphocytes subsets in adult patients with COVID-19

Deng, Zhifeng; Zhang, Minli; Zhu, Ting; Liu, Zhili; Liu, Zheming; Xiang, Rong; Zhang, Wei; Xu, Yu

Abstract Introduction Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has been widely spread. We aim to investigate the dynamic changes of peripheral blood lymphocytes subsets in adult patients with COVID-19. Methods Electronic medical records including demographics, clinical manifestation, comorbidities, laboratory data, and radiological materials of 435 hospitalized COVID-19 patients, with confirmed result of SARS-CoV-2 viral infection, were extracted and retrospectively analyzed. The counts of lymphocyte subsets at each week after the onset of the illness were compared with other weeks of illness and with those from normal individuals. Results The various lymphocyte subsets (CD3 +, CD4 +, CD8 +, CD19 +and CD16/56 +) were below the normal ranges at the first week after the onset of the illness, reaching a nadir during the second week, which increased gradually in the third week and returned to normal levels in the fifth week, but was still lower than the healthy controls. The CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ counts were significantly lower in those with severe disease compared to those with non-severe disease, and in those patients that died compared to those who recovered. Discussion our research indicates that the levels of peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets (CD3 +, CD4 +, and CD8 +) are associated with disease progression, severity, and prognosis in patients with COVID-19. Dynamic monitoring of human immune function is one of the indicators for evaluating the severity and prognosis of COVID-19 patients, and it is helpful to formulate appropriate treatment strategies.