Longitudinal alteration of circulating dendritic cell subsets and its correlation with steroid treatment in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome.
In this study, we found that 74 patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) exhibited a rapid, dramatic decrease in numbers of circulating myeloid and plasmacytoid dendritic cells (mDCs and pDCs) during the first 2 weeks of illness (5.3- and 28.4-fold reductions for mDCs and pDCs compared with 25 healthy individuals, respectively), with slow return to normal cell numbers during convalescence (weeks 5-7 of illness on average). In addition, numbers of circulating CD4 and CD8 T cells exhibited milder reductions (2.1- and 1.8-fold at week 1) and earlier return to normal at a mean of weeks 3 and 4, respectively. A significant inverse correlation was found between numbers of DC and T-cell subsets and high-dose steroid treatment. Our novel findings thus suggest that the acute SARS-coronavirus infection probably contributes to the initial reduction of DC and T-cell subsets in blood, and that high-dose steroid administration may subsequently exacerbate and prolong low expression of the cell subsets. These findings will aid the framing of further studies of the immunopathogenesis of SARS.
Zhang
Zheng
Z
Research Centre for Biological Therapy, Beijing Institute of Infectious Diseases, Beijing 302 Hospital, 100 Xi Si Huan Middle Road, Beijing 100039, China.
Xu
Dongping
D
Li
Yonggang
Y
Jin
Lei
L
Shi
Ming
M
Wang
Min
M
Zhou
Xianzhi
X
Wu
Hao
H
Gao
George F
GF
Wang
Fu-Sheng
FS
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D000085962:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D001483:Base Sequence; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D002268:Carboxypeptidases / Q000378:metabolism; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology; D013997:Time Factors
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral; D012254:Ribavirin; D002268:Carboxypeptidases; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A; C000705307:ACE2 protein, human; D000085962:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2