Figure 5.

Distinct airway proteomic and immune cell phenotypes correlate with distinct indicators of respiratory pathology post-COVID

(A) Immune cell proportions in the BAL, as a percentage of total leukocytes, BAL albumin (μg/mL), LDH (OD450), and DPP4 (ng/mL) were correlated with CT (% abnormality) or FEV1, FVC, and TLCO (% of predicted normal). Spearman’s rho is displayed as a heatmap.

(B) Albumin (μg/mL), LDH (OD450), and DPP4 (ng/mL) in the BAL segregated by CT abnormality (%), predicted FVC (%), and predicted TLCO (%).

(C) The number of major immune cell population per mL of BAL versus CT abnormality, FVC, and TLCO.

(D) Total number of monocyte subsets per mL BAL was segregated by CT, FVC, and TCLO.

(E) BAL CXCL8 (pg/mL) measured by Legendplex in HC and post-COVID-19 patients and correlated versus total neutrophil numbers (per mL/BAL).

(F) BAL CXCL8 (pg/mL) measured by legendplex in post COVID-19 patients segregated by CT abnormality (%), predicted FVC (%), and predicted TLCO (%).

(G) BAL CCL2 (pg/mL) measured by legendplex in HC and post COVID-19 patients and correlated versus myeloid cells (CD11b⁺) in the BAL.

(H) BAL CCL2 (pg/mL) measured by legendplex in post COVID-19 patients segregated by CT abnormality (%), predicted FVC (%), and predicted TLCO (%). Where applicable individual points are shown, and data are presented as median ± IQR. Each point represents an individual patient. Statistical significance for (B–H) was tested by Mann-Whitney U test. Benjamini-Hochberg adjusted (5% FDR) p values ^∗p < 0.05, ^∗∗p < 0.01, ^∗∗∗p < 0.005, ^∗∗∗∗p < 0.001. Pearson’s correlations were performed in (E and G), r and p values are shown, as is a line of best fit ±95% confidence intervals. See Figures S6 and S7.