Figure 5.

Decreased Early Transitional and Follicular B Cells in the Peripheral Blood of Patients with Severe COVID-19

(A and B) Quantitation of (A) total CD19⁺ B cells and (B) naive, early transitional (T1/2), and follicular (FO) B cell subsets in the peripheral blood of patients with COVID-19 at states of convalescence (n = 39), severe illness with an intermediate maximum CRP level during hospitalization (<200 mg/L; severe [CRP int]; n = 10), and severe illness with a high maximum CRP level during hospitalization (>200 mg/L; severe [CRP hi]; n = 15) as defined by the clinical criteria listed in Table S4 and compared to healthy controls (n = 4). Quantitation is shown by B cell level for each individual patient with mean, standard deviation, and significance by one-way ANOVA of log % B cell value indicated (^∗p < 0.05; ^∗∗p < 0.01; ^∗∗∗p < 0.001; ^∗∗∗∗p < 0.0001). Representative COVID-19 contour plots shown (B) with healthy control contour plots and full B cell flow cytometry gating strategy outlined (Figure S6).

(C and D) Association of peripheral blood B cell frequency with maximum CRP level (C) and the clinical parameters of symptom duration at blood draw and total length of hospital stay (D) in all symptomatic COVID-19 patients (n = 29) with moderate to severe illness as defined by the clinical criteria listed in Table S4. Correlation is shown by linear regression with individual patients, 95% confidence bands, R², and p values shown.

See also Figures S6 and S7 and Table S4.