Background The 2019 novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 caused large outbreaks of COVID-19 worldwide. COVID-19 resembles community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Our aim was to identify lymphocyte subpopulations to distinguish between COVID-19 and CAP. Methods We compared the peripheral blood lymphocytes and their subsets in 296 patients with COVID-19 and 130 patients with CAP. Parameters for independent prediction of COVID-19 were calculated by logistic regression. Results The main lymphocyte subpopulations (CD3 + CD4 + , CD16 + CD56 + , and CD4 + /CD8 + ratio) and cytokines (TNF- α and IFN- γ ) of COVID-19 patients were significantly different from that of CAP patients. CD16 + CD56 + %, CD4 + /CD8 + ratio, CD19 + , and CD3 + CD4 + were identified as predictors of COVID-19 diagnosis by logistic regression. In addition, the CD3 + CD4 + counts, CD3 + CD8 + counts, andTNF- α are independent predictors of disease severity in patients. Conclusions Lymphopenia is an important part of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and lymphocyte subsets and cytokines may be useful to predict the severity and clinical outcomes of the disease.
【초록키워드】 COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Cytokines, SARS-COV-2 infection, severity, disease severity, Lymphocyte subsets, cytokine, CD4, CD8, Novel coronavirus, Peripheral blood, Clinical outcome, lymphopenia, lymphocyte, 2019 novel coronavirus, Lymphocyte subset, outbreak, Patient, COVID-19 diagnosis, Logistic regression, IFN, predictor, patients, predict, community-acquired pneumonia, CD16, independent predictors, COVID-19 patient, CD19, peripheral blood lymphocytes, TNF- α, CD56, CD3, independent, Result, identify, caused, significantly, addition, the disease, calculated, subset, independent predictor, lymphocyte subpopulation, patients with COVID-19, peripheral blood lymphocyte,