Table 2 Immunological features of COVID-19 patients and healthy controls

Flowcytometry

CD4 + T Lymphocytes (count/μl)

917.5

(380–1900)

465

(155–1230)

347.5

(65–890)

 < 0.0001

 < 0.0001

0.0008

CD8 + T Lymphocytes (count/μl)

490

(150–1100)

285

(110–720)

186.0

(25–500)

 < 0.0001

 < 0.0001

0.0002

B Lymphocytes (count/μl)

302.5

(80–550)

246.5

(40–450)

172.5

(10–400)

0.0004

 < 0.0001

0.0127

NK Cells (count/μl)

340

(120–900)

162.5

(40–450)

109

(10–350)

 < 0.0001

 < 0.0001

0.0069

G1 mean ± SD (N = 50)

G2 mean ± SD (N = 50)

G3 mean ± SD (N = 50)

CD4 + T Lymphocytes (%)

42.54 ± 7.308

40.93 ± 7.131

39.31 ± 9.149

NS

NS

NS

CD8 + T Lymphocytes (%)

24.71 ± 7.741

22.70 ± 7.914

23.18 ± 8.236

NS

NS

NS

B Lymphocytes (%)

12.23 ± 2.406

9.694 ± 2.340

9.136 ± 3.201

 < 0.0001

 < 0.0001

NS

NK Cells (%)

15.17 ± 7.504

12.81 ± 8.205

12.87 ± 7.538

NS

NS

NS

Treg Cells (%)

4.524 ± 1.967

3.458 ± 1.595

2.648 ± 1.489

0.0111

 < 0.0001

0.0298

Th17 Cells (%)

3.512 ± 1.621

4.668 ± 2.254

6.044 ± 2.598

0.0123

 < 0.0001

0.0169

Relative Gene Expression (Fold Change)

IFN-α

1.000 ± 0.09112

0.8592 ± 0.3361

0.5844 ± 0.3282

0.0177

 < 0.0001

0.0002

IFN-β

1.000 ± 0.1020

0.8094 ± 0.4074

0.6324 ± 0.2801

0.0066

 < 0.0001

0.0388

JAK-1

1.000 ± 0.08152

0.9100 ± 0.2939

0.7220 ± 0.4729

NS

0.0004

NS

TYK-2

1.000 ± 0.07461

0.8752 ± 0.2590

0.5518 ± 0.4402

0.0054

 < 0.0001

 < 0.0001

STAT-1

1.000 ± 0.07835

0.8892 ± 0.3473

0.6892 ± 0.5016

NS

0.0002

NS

STAT-2

1.000 ± 0.05379

0.7664 ± 0.2876

0.5234 ± 0.3018

 < 0.0001

 < 0.0001

0.0002

IRF-3

1.000 ± 0.06862

0.7036 ± 0.3234

0.5492 ± 0.2803

 < 0.0001

 < 0.0001

0.0364

IRF-7

1.000 ± 0.1209

0.7684 ± 0.4125

0.5644 ± 0.3296

0.0010

 < 0.0001

0.0224

Western Blotting (%)

STAT-1

63.56 ± 23.78

57.96 ± 33.92

43.76 ± 26.14

NS

0.0004

NS

STAT-2

74.64 ± 17.53

54.76 ± 22.68

40.94 ± 31.20

 < 0.0001

 < 0.0001

0.0385

JAK-1

65.82 ± 21.38

59.74 ± 32.22

44.46 ± 15.64

NS

 < 0.0001

0.0106

TYK-2

69.68 ± 17.56

60.14 ± 37.22

41.92 ± 21.65

NS

 < 0.0001

0.0110

pSTAT-1

62.14 ± 21.46

47.96 ± 23.02

37.54 ± 17.56

0.0058

 < 0.0001

0.0372

pSTAT-2

66.24 ± 16.49

52.2 ± 21

39.44 ± 21.34

0.0010

 < 0.0001

0.0098

pJAK-1

62.42 ± 19.25

50.18 ± 21.96

40.1 ± 15.59

0.0114

 < 0.0001

0.0285

pTYK-2

63.14 ± 17.05

52.3 ± 21.58

38.74 ± 19.46

0.0192

 < 0.0001

0.0041

IRF-3

70.20 ± 26.63

53.74 ± 22.76

36.62 ± 22.01

0.0038

 < 0.0001

0.0007

IRF-7

73.56 ± 30.15

54.72 ± 33.04

30.66 ± 14.75

0.0109

 < 0.0001

 < 0.0001

Enzyme-Linked Immunosurbent Assay (ELISA)

IFN-α (pg/ml)

26.63 ± 19.02

15.45 ± 13.92

11.13 ± 9.518

0.0035

 < 0.0001

NS

IFN-β (pg/ml)

6.116 ± 4.259

3.194 ± 1.492

2.582 ± 1.243

 < 0.0001

 < 0.0001

NS

IL-1β (pg/ml)

7.984 ± 4.239

12.63 ± 7.090

20.20 ± 13.94

0.0005

 < 0.0001

0.0031

IL-6 (pg/ml)

7.467 ± 2.995

13.26 ± 9.594

33.07 ± 37.88

0.0004

 < 0.0001

0.0021

TNF-α (pg/ml)

3.682 ± 1.549

10.99 ± 13.45

27.90 ± 29.71

0.0011

 < 0.0001

0.0015

IL-2R (U/ml)

467.2 ± 200.9

618.5 ± 212.8

943.2 ± 326.0

0.0012

 < 0.0001

 < 0.0001

IL-17 (pg/ml)

11.55 ± 5.716

16.34 ± 7.485

21.28 ± 9.411

0.0016

 < 0.0001

0.0137

IL-10 (pg/ml)

5.482 ± 1.556

5.624 ± 3.142

10.41 ± 7.814

NS

0.0002

0.0005

IFN-α auto-antibody positive cases

0

2

14

NS

 < 0.0001

0.001