Fig. 9: Peripheral blood and lung γδ T cell responses during SARS-CoV-2 infection. | Communications Biology

Fig. 9: Peripheral blood and lung γδ T cell responses during SARS-CoV-2 infection.

From: The dynamics of γδ T cell responses in nonhuman primates during SARS-CoV-2 infection

Fig. 9

Rapid activation (HLA-DR+) and expansion of circulating γδ T cells with increased CXCR3 expression, as observed following aerosol exposure in NHPs, may enable their migration to sites of virus replication in the airways. Later stages are marked by a significant decline in blood γδ T cells and consistently increased GrB and CCR6 expression in both routes of exposure, supporting killing of infected cells and repair of alveolar epithelia in the recovery phase. In the lungs, greater frequencies of activated (HLA-DR+), cytotoxic (GrB+) and CD161+ γδ T cells during the recovery phase may be involved in viral clearance and repair of alveolar epithelium. The differences in γδ T cell mobilization and effector functions may underlie the diverse clinical spectrum of COVID-19. Schematic created with BioRender.com.

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