%0 Journal Article
%A Utrero Rico, Alberto
%A González Cuadrado, Cecilia
%A Chivite Lacaba, Marta
%A Cabrera Marante, Óscar
%A Laguna Goya, Rocío
%A Almendro Vázquez, Patricia
%A Díaz Pedroche, Carmen
%A Ruiz Ruigómez, María
%A Lalueza Blanco, Antonio
%A Folgueira López, María Dolores
%A Vázquez, Enrique
%A Quintas, Ana
%A Berges Buxeda, Marcos J.
%A Martín Rodriguez, Moisés
%A Dopazo, Ana
%A Serrano Hernández, Antonio
%A Aguado García, José María
%A Paz Artal, Estela Natividad
%T Alterations in Circulating Monocytes Predict COVID-19 Severity and Include Chromatin Modifications Still Detectable Six Months after Recovery
%D 2021
%@ 2227-9059
%U https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/5048
%X An early analysis of circulating monocytes may be critical for predicting COVID-19 course and its sequelae. In 131 untreated, acute COVID-19 patients at emergency room arrival, monocytes showed decreased surface molecule expression, including low HLA-DR, in association with an inflammatory cytokine status and limited anti-SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell response. Most of these alterations had normalized in post-COVID-19 patients 6 months after discharge. Acute COVID-19 monocytes transcriptome showed upregulation of anti-inflammatory tissue repair genes such as BCL6, AREG and IL-10 and increased accessibility of chromatin. Some of these transcriptomic and epigenetic features still remained in post-COVID-19 monocytes. Importantly, a poorer expression of surface molecules and low IRF1 gene transcription in circulating monocytes at admission defined a COVID-19 patient group with impaired SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell response and increased risk of requiring intensive care or dying. An early analysis of monocytes may be useful for COVID-19 patient stratification and for designing innate immunity-focused therapies.
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