Transcriptomic analysis of COVID­19 lungs and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples reveals predominant B cell activation responses to infection.

ABSTRACT

The outbreak of the 2019 coronavirus disease (named, COVID­19), caused by the novel SARS­CoV­2 virus, represents a worldwide severe threat to public health. It is of the utmost importance to characterize the immune responses against the SARS­CoV­2 and the mechanisms of hyperinflammation, in order to design better therapeutic strategies for COVID­19. In the present study, a transcriptomic analysis was performed to profile the immune signatures in lung and the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples from COVID­19 patients and controls. Our data concordantly revealed increased humoral responses to infection. The elucidation of the host responses to SARS­CoV­2 infection may further improve our understanding of COVID­19 pathogenesis and suggest better therapeutic strategies.