Pronounce Expression of Tim-3 and CD39 but Not PD1 Defines CD8 T Cells in Critical Covid-19 Patients

Background: During viral infection, inhibitory receptors play a key role in regulating CD8 T-cell activity. The objective of this research was to investigate programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-containing protein-3 (TIM-3), and CD39 exhaustion markers in CD8 T cells of new coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) patients.

Methods: A total of 44 patients with COVID-19 (17 subjects in a critical group and 27 patients in a non-critical group) and 14 healthy controls, who were admitted to Hospitals in Babol, were recruited to the study. In subjects' peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), we compared the phenotype of CD8 T lymphocytes, expressing PD-1, TIM-3, or CD39, both alone and in various combinations.

Results: The findings showed that the percentage of CD8 cells was significantly lower in patients. Critical and non-critical patients were more likely than healthy controls to have an escalated frequency of CD8 TIM-3, CD8 CD39, and CD8 TIM-3 CD39 cells. No significant differences were observed between all groups in the CD8 PD-1 cell counts. There was also no difference between three groups regarding the counts of CD8 TIM-3 PD-1, CD8 PD-1 CD39, and CD8 TIM-3 PD-1 CD39 cells. The counts of non-exhausted cells were significantly lower in critical and non-critical individuals compared to the healthy individuals' value.

Conclusion: Patients, infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), altered exhausted CD8 T lymphocytes with CD39 and TIM-3 exhaustion markers, which may account the dysregulated immune response found in COVID-19.