Suvi T Jokiranta , Anh Nguyen Ngoc , Xiaobo Huang , Kirsten Nowlan , Leo Hannolainen , Lari Pyöriä , Pirkka T Pekkarinen , Pia Dürnsteiner , Tinja Lääveri , Nelli Heikkilä , Santtu Heinonen , Sini M Laakso , Anu Kantele , Olli Vapalahti , Tomas Strandin , Jussi Hepojoki , Maria F Perdomo , Eliisa Kekäläinen
{"title":"急性COVID-19期间B细胞失调是短暂的。","authors":"Suvi T Jokiranta , Anh Nguyen Ngoc , Xiaobo Huang , Kirsten Nowlan , Leo Hannolainen , Lari Pyöriä , Pirkka T Pekkarinen , Pia Dürnsteiner , Tinja Lääveri , Nelli Heikkilä , Santtu Heinonen , Sini M Laakso , Anu Kantele , Olli Vapalahti , Tomas Strandin , Jussi Hepojoki , Maria F Perdomo , Eliisa Kekäläinen","doi":"10.1016/j.imlet.2025.107086","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>COVID-19 is still a significant health concern worldwide. B cell responses to COVID-19 have been extensively studied in acute severe disease, but less so during extended follow-up or mild disease. Persisting immunological changes together with herpesvirus reactivations during acute COVID-19 have been suggested as contributing factors for post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC). Here, we evaluated the natural kinetics of B cell subpopulations together with serological markers of increased B cell activity during acute COVID-19 and long-term follow-up. We also measured human herpesvirus reactivations during acute COVID-19.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We collected plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cell samples from 120 SARS-CoV-2 positive patients (outpatients = 56, inpatients = 64) at up to five timepoints during acute disease and recovery (up to 460 days since symptom onset, dsso). We determined circulating B cell and Th cell subpopulations using flow cytometry, and measured free light chains, in addition to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) serology, and herpesvirus qPCR from the plasma samples. The presence of anosmia as a proxy for PASC was self-reported at 3–12 months post-COVID.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>All changes in B cell subpopulation proportions normalized within 200 dsso. Likewise, the acute alterations observed in circulating T follicular helper and T follicular regulatory cell proportions stabilized soon after. Free light chains were high in acute COVID-19, especially in inpatients, but normalized during follow-up. EBV and human herpesvirus 6B (HHV-6B) reactivations were significantly more common in inpatients than outpatients, with reactivation in 47 and 19 % of inpatients and 4.3 and 0 % of outpatients respectively. Anosmia was not significantly associated with any herpesvirus reactivation.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The circulating B cell and Th cell subpopulations experience transitional changes during SARS-CoV-2 infection, but these changes recover in follow-up. EBV and HHV-6B reactivations are common in inpatients, but they are not associated with persisting anosmia.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13413,"journal":{"name":"Immunology letters","volume":"277 ","pages":"Article 107086"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8000,"publicationDate":"2025-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":"{\"title\":\"B cell dysregulation during acute COVID-19 is transient\",\"authors\":\"Suvi T Jokiranta , Anh Nguyen Ngoc , Xiaobo Huang , Kirsten Nowlan , Leo Hannolainen , Lari Pyöriä , Pirkka T Pekkarinen , Pia Dürnsteiner , Tinja Lääveri , Nelli Heikkilä , Santtu Heinonen , Sini M Laakso , Anu Kantele , Olli Vapalahti , Tomas Strandin , Jussi Hepojoki , Maria F Perdomo , Eliisa Kekäläinen\",\"doi\":\"10.1016/j.imlet.2025.107086\",\"DOIUrl\":null,\"url\":null,\"abstract\":\"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>COVID-19 is still a significant health concern worldwide. B cell responses to COVID-19 have been extensively studied in acute severe disease, but less so during extended follow-up or mild disease. Persisting immunological changes together with herpesvirus reactivations during acute COVID-19 have been suggested as contributing factors for post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC). Here, we evaluated the natural kinetics of B cell subpopulations together with serological markers of increased B cell activity during acute COVID-19 and long-term follow-up. We also measured human herpesvirus reactivations during acute COVID-19.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We collected plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cell samples from 120 SARS-CoV-2 positive patients (outpatients = 56, inpatients = 64) at up to five timepoints during acute disease and recovery (up to 460 days since symptom onset, dsso). We determined circulating B cell and Th cell subpopulations using flow cytometry, and measured free light chains, in addition to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) serology, and herpesvirus qPCR from the plasma samples. The presence of anosmia as a proxy for PASC was self-reported at 3–12 months post-COVID.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>All changes in B cell subpopulation proportions normalized within 200 dsso. Likewise, the acute alterations observed in circulating T follicular helper and T follicular regulatory cell proportions stabilized soon after. Free light chains were high in acute COVID-19, especially in inpatients, but normalized during follow-up. EBV and human herpesvirus 6B (HHV-6B) reactivations were significantly more common in inpatients than outpatients, with reactivation in 47 and 19 % of inpatients and 4.3 and 0 % of outpatients respectively. Anosmia was not significantly associated with any herpesvirus reactivation.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The circulating B cell and Th cell subpopulations experience transitional changes during SARS-CoV-2 infection, but these changes recover in follow-up. EBV and HHV-6B reactivations are common in inpatients, but they are not associated with persisting anosmia.</div></div>\",\"PeriodicalId\":13413,\"journal\":{\"name\":\"Immunology letters\",\"volume\":\"277 \",\"pages\":\"Article 107086\"},\"PeriodicalIF\":2.8000,\"publicationDate\":\"2025-09-05\",\"publicationTypes\":\"Journal Article\",\"fieldsOfStudy\":null,\"isOpenAccess\":false,\"openAccessPdf\":\"\",\"citationCount\":\"0\",\"resultStr\":null,\"platform\":\"Semanticscholar\",\"paperid\":null,\"PeriodicalName\":\"Immunology letters\",\"FirstCategoryId\":\"3\",\"ListUrlMain\":\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165247825001191\",\"RegionNum\":4,\"RegionCategory\":\"医学\",\"ArticlePicture\":[],\"TitleCN\":null,\"AbstractTextCN\":null,\"PMCID\":null,\"EPubDate\":\"\",\"PubModel\":\"\",\"JCR\":\"Q3\",\"JCRName\":\"IMMUNOLOGY\",\"Score\":null,\"Total\":0}","platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Immunology letters","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165247825001191","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"IMMUNOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
B cell dysregulation during acute COVID-19 is transient
Background
COVID-19 is still a significant health concern worldwide. B cell responses to COVID-19 have been extensively studied in acute severe disease, but less so during extended follow-up or mild disease. Persisting immunological changes together with herpesvirus reactivations during acute COVID-19 have been suggested as contributing factors for post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC). Here, we evaluated the natural kinetics of B cell subpopulations together with serological markers of increased B cell activity during acute COVID-19 and long-term follow-up. We also measured human herpesvirus reactivations during acute COVID-19.
Methods
We collected plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cell samples from 120 SARS-CoV-2 positive patients (outpatients = 56, inpatients = 64) at up to five timepoints during acute disease and recovery (up to 460 days since symptom onset, dsso). We determined circulating B cell and Th cell subpopulations using flow cytometry, and measured free light chains, in addition to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) serology, and herpesvirus qPCR from the plasma samples. The presence of anosmia as a proxy for PASC was self-reported at 3–12 months post-COVID.
Results
All changes in B cell subpopulation proportions normalized within 200 dsso. Likewise, the acute alterations observed in circulating T follicular helper and T follicular regulatory cell proportions stabilized soon after. Free light chains were high in acute COVID-19, especially in inpatients, but normalized during follow-up. EBV and human herpesvirus 6B (HHV-6B) reactivations were significantly more common in inpatients than outpatients, with reactivation in 47 and 19 % of inpatients and 4.3 and 0 % of outpatients respectively. Anosmia was not significantly associated with any herpesvirus reactivation.
Conclusions
The circulating B cell and Th cell subpopulations experience transitional changes during SARS-CoV-2 infection, but these changes recover in follow-up. EBV and HHV-6B reactivations are common in inpatients, but they are not associated with persisting anosmia.
期刊介绍:
Immunology Letters provides a vehicle for the speedy publication of experimental papers, (mini)Reviews and Letters to the Editor addressing all aspects of molecular and cellular immunology. The essential criteria for publication will be clarity, experimental soundness and novelty. Results contradictory to current accepted thinking or ideas divergent from actual dogmas will be considered for publication provided that they are based on solid experimental findings.
Preference will be given to papers of immediate importance to other investigators, either by their experimental data, new ideas or new methodology. Scientific correspondence to the Editor-in-Chief related to the published papers may also be accepted provided that they are short and scientifically relevant to the papers mentioned, in order to provide a continuing forum for discussion.