Secondary Complement Deficiency Impairs Anti-Microbial Immunity to Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus During Severe Acute COVID-19.
Front Immunol
; 13: 841759, 2022.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1952324
ABSTRACT
A high incidence of secondary Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus infection were observed in patients with severe COVID-19. The cause of this predisposition to infection is unclear. Our data demonstrate consumption of complement in acute COVID-19 patients reflected by low levels of C3, C4, and loss of haemolytic activity. Given that the elimination of Gram-negative bacteria depends in part on complement-mediated lysis, we hypothesised that secondary hypocomplementaemia is rendering the antibody-dependent classical pathway activation inactive and compromises serum bactericidal activity (SBA). 217 patients with severe COVID-19 were studied. 142 patients suffered secondary bacterial infections. Klebsiella species were the most common Gram-negative organism, found in 58 patients, while S. aureus was the dominant Gram-positive organism found in 22 patients. Hypocomplementaemia was observed in patients with acute severe COVID-19 but not in convalescent survivors three months after discharge. Sera from patients with acute COVID-19 were unable to opsonise either K. pneumoniae or S. aureus and had impaired complement-mediated killing of Klebsiella. We conclude that hyperactivation of complement during acute COVID-19 leads to secondary hypocomplementaemia and predisposes to opportunistic infections.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Staphylococcal Infections
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Front Immunol
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Fimmu.2022.841759
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