Single-cell landscape of bronchoalveolar immune cells in patients with COVID-19.

Liao, Mingfeng; Liu, Yang; Yuan, Jing; Wen, Yanling; Xu, Gang; Zhao, Juanjuan; Cheng, Lin; Li, Jinxiu et al. · Nat Med · 2020

cross_sectional · Level IV

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Abstract

Respiratory immune characteristics associated with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity are currently unclear. We characterized bronchoalveolar lavage fluid immune cells from patients with varying severity of COVID-19 and from healthy people by using single-cell RNA sequencing. Proinflammatory monocyte-derived macrophages were abundant in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from patients with severe COVID-9. Moderate cases were characterized by the presence of highly clonally expanded CD8<sup>+</sup> T cells. This atlas of the bronchoalveolar immune microenvironment suggests potential mechanisms underlying pathogenesis and recovery in COVID-19.

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