Integration of T cell repertoire, CyTOF, genotyping and symptomatology data reveals subphenotypic variability in COVID-19 patients.

Journal: Computational and structural biotechnology journal
Published Date:

Abstract

COVID-19 manifests a broad spectrum of clinical outcomes, from asymptomatic cases to severe disease. While several biomarkers have been proposed, comprehensive immunological analyses integrating mass cytometry (CyTOF) and T-cell receptor sequencing (TCRseq) data remain limited. In this study, we applied the Latent Class Model based on the Bayesian Information Criterion (LCM-BIC) algorithm to integrate immunophenotyping, including monocyte-macrophage counts from CyTOF, T-cell receptor repertorie data via TCRseq, SNPs data from (rs2285666), (rs469390), and (rs2070788), and symptomatology data from 61 Spanish COVID-19 patients (33 mild, 28 severe). We identified three novel and distinct patient clusters with significant differences in TCR diversity, monocyte subpopulations, and V allele usage and disease outcome. Cluster 1 was predominantly enriched in severe cases, characterized by unique immunological features. Deep learning analysis of TCR amino acid sequences further distinguished Cluster 1 from the others, identifying SARS-CoV-2-specific TCR sequences associated with disease severity. In addition, analysis of residue sensitivity of cluster 1 SARS-CoV-2-specific TCR sequences further identified conserved aminoacids located in key central positions of the complementarity-determining region 3. This study highlights the value of integrating immunophenotyping and genetic profiling to identify novel immunological markers and patterns, aiding in the stratification and management of COVID-19 patients based on their immune profiles and genetic background.

Authors

  • Fernando Marín-Benesiu
    Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology III and Inmunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Parque Tecnológico de la Salud, Granada 18016, Spain.
  • Lucia Chica-Redecillas
    Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology III and Inmunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Parque Tecnológico de la Salud, Granada 18016, Spain.
  • Sergio Cuenca-López
    LORGEN G.P., PT, Ciencias de la Salud - Business Innovation Centre (BIC), Armilla 18100, Spain.
  • Carmen Entrala-Bernal
    LORGEN G.P., PT, Ciencias de la Salud - Business Innovation Centre (BIC), Armilla 18100, Spain.
  • Sara Martín-Esteban
    Montefrío Health Center, Metropolitan District of Granada, Montefrío 18009, Spain.
  • Maria Jesus Alvarez-Cubero
    GENYO, Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research: Pfizer -University of Granada - Andalusian Regional Government, Granada, 18016, Spain; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology III and Immunology, University of Granada, Granada, 18071, Spain. Electronic address: mjesusac@ugr.es.
  • Luis Javier Martinez-Gonzalez
    GENYO, Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research: Pfizer -University of Granada - Andalusian Regional Government, Granada, 18016, Spain. Electronic address: luisjavier.martinez@genyo.es.

Keywords

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