Do reduced numbers of plasmacytoid dendritic cells contribute to the aggressive clinical course of COVID‐19 in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia?. (16th March 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Smith, Carl Inge Edvard; Zain, Rula; Österborg, Anders; Palma, Marzia; Buggert, Marcus; Bergman, Peter; Bryceson, Yenan
• Is Part Of: Scandinavian journal of immunology. Volume 95:Number 4(2022)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2022-03-16
• Subjects: BTK -- IRF7 -- SARS‐CoV‐2 -- TLR7 -- toll‐like receptor 7 -- X‐linked agammaglobulinemia; Immunology -- Periodicals; 571.96
• DOI: 10.1111/sji.13153
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0300-9475

Abstract

Abstract: Infections with SARS‐CoV‐2 have been unduly severe in patients with haematological malignancies, in particular in those with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). Based on a series of observations, we propose that an underlying mechanism for the aggressive clinical course of COVID‐19 in CLL is a paucity of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) in these patients. Indeed, pDCs express Toll‐like receptor 7 (TLR7), which together with interferon‐regulatory factor 7 (IRF7), enables pDCs to produce large amounts of type I interferons, essential for combating COVID‐19. Treatment of CLL with Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors increased the number of pDCs, likely secondarily to the reduction in the tumour burden.