A diminished immune response underlies age-related SARS-CoV-2 pathologies.
Cell Rep
; 39(13): 111002, 2022 06 28.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1881767
ABSTRACT
Morbidity and mortality in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection are significantly elevated in people of advanced age. To understand the underlying biology of this phenotype, we utilize the golden hamster model to compare how the innate and adaptive immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection differed between younger and older animals. We find that while both hamster cohorts showed similar virus kinetics in the lungs, the host response in older animals was dampened, with diminished tissue repair in the respiratory tract post-infection. Characterization of the adaptive immune response also revealed age-related differences, including fewer germinal center B cells in older hamsters, resulting in reduced potency of neutralizing antibodies. Moreover, older animals demonstrate elevated suppressor T cells and neutrophils in the respiratory tract, correlating with an increase in TGF-ß and IL-17 induction. Together, these data support that diminished immunity is one of the underlying causes of age-related morbidity.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
SARS-CoV-2
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Cohort study
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Limits:
Animals
/
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Cell Rep
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
J.celrep.2022.111002
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