Several studies show that the immunosuppressive drugs targeting the interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor, including tocilizumab, ameliorate lethal inflammatory responses in COVID-19 patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. Here, by employing single-cell analysis of the immune cell composition of two severe-stage COVID-19 patients prior to and following tocilizumab-induced remission, we identify a monocyte subpopulation that contributes to the inflammatory cytokine storms. Furthermore, although tocilizumab treatment attenuates the inflammation, immune cells, including plasma B cells and CD8 + T cells, still exhibit robust humoral and cellular antiviral immune responses. Thus, in addition to providing a high-dimensional dataset on the immune cell distribution at multiple stages of the COVID-19, our work also provides insights into the therapeutic effects of tocilizumab, and identifies potential target cell populations for treating COVID-19-related cytokine storms. Tocilizumab has been used to treat the excessive inflammatory responses in COVID-19 patients. Here, the authors use single-cell RNA sequencing results from two severe COIVD-19 patients to provide high-dimensional immune profiling data, and to implicate potential cellular and molecular insights for the therapeutic effects of tocilizumab.
【저자키워드】 Monocytes and macrophages, Computational biology and bioinformatics, Acute inflammation, Antimicrobial responses, 【초록키워드】 COVID-19, Treatment, Inflammation, Tocilizumab, T cells, IL-6, interleukin-6, CD8, Single-cell RNA sequencing, monocyte, excessive inflammatory response, immune profiling, Patient, immune cells, dataset, receptor, distribution, single-cell, Inflammatory cytokine, COVID-19 patients, cellular, Inflammatory response, Analysis, Immune cell, COVID-19 patient, Cytokine storms, humoral, Stage, therapeutic effect, treat, subpopulation, cell population, antiviral immune responses, robust, identify, addition, provide, contribute, cellular and molecular, attenuate, immunosuppressive drug, infected with SARS-CoV-2, plasma B cell, 【제목키워드】 Cytokine storm, single-cell analysis, reveal, severe COVID-19 patient,