The severity of COVID-19 is accompanied by a change in the expression of the surface marker CD38 in T lymphocytes and NK cells

Abstract

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 mediates activation of immunocompetent cells. Little is known about the phenotypic marker CD38 on the surface of T and NK cells and its association with the severity of COVID-19.

AIM: To analyze the distribution of the surface marker CD38 in subsets of T and NK cells at the different stages of their differentiation in the groups of patients with COVID-19 and convalescents, and to reveal the relationship between the level of CD38 expression in subpopulations of T and NK cells with the severity of COVID-19.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients and donors were isolated using ficoll density gradient followed by cytofluorimetric analysis of the surface markers: CD3, CD56, CD38.

RESULTS: In PBMC samples the level of CD38 expression on NK cells (CD3^–CD56⁺), including CD56^bright and CD56^dim subsets, as well as on T lymphocytes, differentiating conventional CD56^–(CD3⁺CD56^–) and NKT-like (CD3⁺CD56⁺) cells, were analyzed. Among CD56^– T cells and NKT-like cells the highest levels of CD38 expression were registered in the groups of patients of moderate severity and convalescents, and, in contrast, the decreased CD38 levels were detected in the group of patients from the intensive care unit.

CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that the level of CD38⁺ T cell in COVID-19 may be of use as diagnostic value.

Keywords

COVID-19 / T-lymphocytes / NK cells, CD38

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