French researchers have identified a unique signature in the most critically ill COVID-19 patients - a combination of deficiency in a response of a particular interferon, as well as exacerbated inflammation, according to a new study published Monday in Science magazine.
The researchers studied a cohort of 50 COVID-19 patients with various disease severity. They propose this signature, which may be a hallmark of severe COVID-19, provides a rationale for therapeutic approaches that combine interferon supplementation with neutralization of inflammatory signaling.
COVID-19 is characterized by distinct patterns of disease progression depending on the patient, which implies patients exhibit different immune responses to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, according to the study.
So far, studies suggest some 5 to 10 percent of patients progress to severe or critical disease. However, little is known about the immunological features involved in COVID-19 severity, according to the study.
The research team analyzed immune cells of COVID-19 patients with symptoms ranging from mild to critical. The critical patients exhibited a distinctive dual signature involving a deficiency in responses of type I interferons, proteins that help fight viral infections, as well as exacerbated proinflammatory signaling.
The results reinforce a growing hypothesis that the location, timing, and duration of interferon exposure are critical parameters underlying the success of therapeutics for SARS-CoV-2 infections, according to the study.
Severely ill COVID-19 patients could be treated with a combined approach focused on interferon administration and adapted anti-inflammatory therapies, according to the researchers.