In coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, the relationship between disease severity and the host immune response is not fully understood. Here we performed single-cell RNA sequencing in peripheral blood samples of 5 healthy donors and 13 patients with COVID-19, including moderate, severe and convalescent cases. Through determining the transcriptional profiles of immune cells, coupled with assembled T cell receptor and B cell receptor sequences, we analyzed the functional properties of immune cells. Most cell types in patients with COVID-19 showed a strong interferon-α response and an overall acute inflammatory response. Moreover, intensive expansion of highly cytotoxic effector T cell subsets, such as CD4⁺ effector-GNLY (granulysin), CD8⁺ effector-GNLY and NKT CD160, was associated with convalescence in moderate patients. In severe patients, the immune landscape featured a deranged interferon response, profound immune exhaustion with skewed T cell receptor repertoire and broad T cell expansion. These findings illustrate the dynamic nature of immune responses during disease progression.

在由严重急性呼吸系统综合症冠状病毒2（SARS-CoV-2）感染引起的冠状病毒疾病2019（COVID-19）中，疾病严重程度与宿主免疫反应之间的关系尚未完全了解。在这里，我们对5位健康供体和13位COVID-19患者（包括中度，重度和恢复期患者）的外周血样本进行了单细胞RNA测序。通过确定免疫细胞的转录谱，并结合组装的T细胞受体和B细胞受体序列，我们分析了免疫细胞的功能特性。COVID-19患者中的大多数细胞类型均表现出强烈的干扰素-α反应和整体急性炎症反应。此外，高度细胞毒性效应T细胞亚群（例如CD4 ⁺效应-GNLY（颗粒溶素），CD8 ⁺效应-GNLY和NKT CD160与中度患者的康复有关。在重症患者中，免疫系统的特点是干扰素反应紊乱，免疫力衰竭，伴有偏斜的T细胞受体组成和广泛的T细胞扩增。这些发现说明了疾病进展过程中免疫反应的动态性质。