Immune cellular networks underlying recovery from influenza virus infection in acute hospitalized patients

• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23018-x
• Publication Date: 2021-05-11T10:04:54Z
• Authors: Thi H. O. Nguyen; Marios Koutsakos; Carolien E. van d...; Jeremy Chase Craw...; Liyen Loh; Sneha Sant; Ludivine Grzelak; Emma K. Allen; Tim Brahm; E. Bridie Clemens; Maria Auladell; Luca Hensen; Zhongfang Wang; Simone Nüssing; Xiaoxiao Jia; Patrick Günther; Adam K. Wheatley; Stephen J. Kent; Malet Aban; Yi-Mo Deng; Karen L. Laurie; Aeron C. Hurt; Stephanie Gras; Jamie Rossjohn; Jane Crowe; Jianqing Xu; David Jackson; Lorena E. Brown; Nicole La Gruta; Weisan Chen; Peter C. Doherty; Stephen J. Turner; Tom C. Kotsimbos; Paul G. Thomas; Allen C. Cheng; Katherine Kedzierska
• Keywords: CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; 0301 basic medicine; B-Lymphocytes; 9. Industry and infrastructure; Science; Q; Vaccination; 610; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes; Middle Aged; Article; 3. Good health; Cohort Studies; Hospitalization; 03 medical and health sciences; Influenza A virus; Influenza Vaccines; Antibody Formation; Influenza, Human; Cytokines; Humans; Phylogeny; Uncategorized

AbstractHow innate and adaptive immune responses work in concert to resolve influenza disease is yet to be fully investigated in one single study. Here, we utilize longitudinal samples from patients hospitalized with acute influenza to understand these immune responses. We report the dynamics of 18 important immune parameters, related to clinical, genetic and virological factors, in influenza patients across different severity levels. Influenza disease correlates with increases in IL-6/IL-8/MIP-1α/β cytokines and lower antibody responses. Robust activation of circulating T follicular helper cells correlates with peak antibody-secreting cells and influenza heamaglutinin-specific memory B-cell numbers, which phenotypically differs from vaccination-induced B-cell responses. Numbers of influenza-specific CD8+or CD4+T cells increase early in disease and retain an activated phenotype during patient recovery. We report the characterisation of immune cellular networks underlying recovery from influenza infection which are highly relevant to other infectious diseases.