IMMUNE SYSTEM CHANGES AFTER COVID-19 CORRELATES WITH MARKERS OF CARDIOVASCULAR DAMAGE

COVID-19 is associated with strong immune response leading to inflammation, subsequently affecting multiple organs including cardiovascular system. Dysregulated immune response can persist over time and put patients at higher risk of developing cardiovascular disorder (CVD).

Here we investigated correlations between humoral and cellular immune system markers together with markers of cardiovascular damage during COVID-19 onset and subsequent recovery. We analysed blood samples of 22 hospitalized COVID-19 patients at three timepoints (acute, 1 and 6 months after COVID-19) in order to track the impact of COVID-19 to long-term decline of the cardiovascular system fitness and eventual development of CVD. Specifically, we performed multi-parametric immunophenotyping of peripheral blood leukocytes by flow cytometry, protein analysis of plasma, and using our established intracellular flow cytometry protocol, we measured NF-B activity in monocytes.

Our results suggest long-term changes in the immune system including significant changes in the frequency of CD16+ monocytes in post-acute COVID-19. Furthermore, increased level of proinflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-23) significantly positively correlate with the plasma level of markers of cardiovascular damage. These finding may serve as a base for novel immune-related markers, which could be used for the stratification of COVID-19 patients at high risk of CVD for further therapy.

The research was supported by the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic, grant nr. NU22-A-121.