Initial high throughput proteomic analysis reveals alterations in CD19+ B lymphocyte profile in acute COVID-19 patients

Abstract

The immune response to SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, involves intricate interactions between immune cells and viral antigens. CD19+ lymphocytes play a critical role in driving the humoral immune response. In this study, high-throughput proteomic analysis was performed using tandem mass spectrometry to investigate the changes in proteomic profiles of CD19+ whole cell lysates from 6 healthy individuals and 6 acute COVID-19 patients. The volcano plot and heat map showed significant differences in proteomic profiles between these two groups, indicating a distinct molecular signature associated with acute COVID-19. Enrichment analysis, especially over-representation analysis (ORA) using the Reactome database, revealed that proteins involved in neutrophil degranulation and interferon alpha/beta signaling pathways were among the most affected, indicating alterations in key defense processes. These findings, therefore, provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying CD19+ cell responses in acute COVID-19.