AUTHOR=Gómez-Rial Jose , Currás-Tuala Maria José , Rivero-Calle Irene , Gómez-Carballa Alberto , Cebey-López Miriam , Rodríguez-Tenreiro Carmen , Dacosta-Urbieta Ana , Rivero-Velasco Carmen , Rodríguez-Núñez Nuria , Trastoy-Pena Rocio , Rodríguez-García Javier , Salas Antonio , Martinón-Torres Federico 

TITLE=Increased Serum Levels of sCD14 and sCD163 Indicate a Preponderant Role for Monocytes in COVID-19 Immunopathology

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology

VOLUME=Volume 11 - 2020

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2020.560381

DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2020.560381

ISSN=1664-3224

ABSTRACT=Background. Emerging evidence indicates a potential role for monocyte in COVID-19 immunopathology. We investigated two soluble markers of monocyte activation, sCD14 and sCD163, in covid19 patients with the aim of characterizing their potential role in monocyte-macrophage disease immunopathology. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study of its kind.
Methods. Fifty-nine SARS-Cov-2 positive hospitalized patients, classified according to ICU or non-ICU admission requirement, were prospectively recruited and analyzed by ELISA for levels of sCD14 and sCD163, along with other laboratory parameters, and compared to a healthy control group.
Results. sCD14 and sCD163 levels were significantly higher among COVID-19 patients, independently of ICU admission requirement, compared to the control group. We found a significant correlation between sCD14 levels and other inflammatory markers, particularly Interleukin-6, in the non-ICU patients’ group. sCD163 showed a moderate positive correlation with the time at sampling from admission, increasing its value over time, independently of severity group.
Conclusions. Monocyte-macrophage activation markers are increased and correlate with other inflammatory markers in SARS-Cov-2 infection, in association to hospital admission. These data suggest a potentially preponderant role for monocyte-macrophage activation in the development of immunopathology of covid19 patients.