Single-cell transcriptome identifies FCGR3B upregulated subtype of alveolar macrophages in patients with critical COVID-19
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Date
2021Author
Nassir, Nasna
Tambi, Richa
Bankapur, Asma
Al Heialy, Saba
Karuvantevida, Noushad
Zehra, Binte
Begum, Ghausia
Hameid, Reem Abdel
Ahmed, Awab
Shabestari, Seyed Ali Safizadeh
Kandasamy, Richard Kumaran
Loney, Tom
Tayoun, Ahmad Abou
Nowotny, Norbert
Hachim, Mahmood Yaseen
Berdiev, Bakhrom K.
Alsheikh-Ali, Alawi
Uddin, Mohammed
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Summary:
Understanding host cell heterogeneity is critical for unraveling disease mechanism. Utilizing large-scale single-cell transcriptomics, we analyzed multiple tissue specimens from patients with life-threatening COVID-19 pneumonia, compared with healthy controls. We identified a subtype of monocyte-derived alveolar macrophages (MoAMs) where genes associated with severe COVID-19 comorbidities are significantly upregulated in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of critical cases. FCGR3B consistently demarcated MoAM subset in different samples from severe COVID-19 cohorts and in CCL3L1-upregulated cells from nasopharyngeal swabs. In silico findings were validated by upregulation of FCGR3B in nasopharyngeal swabs of severe ICU COVID-19 cases, particularly in older patients and those with comorbidities. Additional lines of evidence from transcriptomic data and in vivo of severe COVID-19 cases suggest that FCGR3B may identify a specific subtype of MoAM in patients with severe COVID-19 that may present a novel biomarker for screening and prognosis, as well as a potential therapeutic target.