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 K
Loney, Tom
Tayoun, Ahmad Abou
Nowotny, Norbert
Hachim, Mahmood Yaseen
Berdiev, Bakhrom
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.