Immuno-proteomic profiling reveals abundant airway CD8 T cells and ongoing epithelial injury in prolonged post-COVD19 respiratory disease

Some patients hospitalized with acute COVID19 suffer respiratory symptoms that persist for many months. To characterize the local and systemic immune responses associated with this form of Long COVID, we delineated the immune and proteomic landscape in the airway and peripheral blood of normal volunteers and patients from 3 to 6 months after hospital discharge. The bronchoalveolar lavage (but not peripheral blood) proteome was abnormal in patients with post-COVID19 lung disease with significantly elevated concentration of proteins associated with apoptosis, tissue repair and epithelial injury. This correlated with an increase in cytotoxic lymphocytes (especially tissue resident CD8+ T cells), lactate dehydrogenase and albumin (biomarkers of cell death and barrier integrity). Follow-up of a subset of these patients greater than 1-year post-COVID19 indicated these abnormalities resolved over time. Collectively, these data indicate that COVID-19 results in a prolonged change to the airway immune landscape in those with persistent lung disease, with evidence of cell death and tissue repair linked to ongoing activation of cytotoxic T cells. HighlightsO_LIThe post-COVID19 airway is characterized by increased cytotoxic lymphocytes. C_LIO_LIDistinct airway proteomes are associated with the airway immune cell landscape. C_LIO_LIThe peripheral blood does not predict immune-proteome alterations in the airway post-COVID19. C_LIO_LIPersistent abnormalities in the airway immune-proteome post-COVID19 airways correlate with ongoing epithelial damage. C_LI