Open AccessPotential Role of the Galectin-9/TIM-3 Axis in the Disparate Progression of SARS-CoV-2 in a Married Couple: A Case Report
Author(s) -
Martín-Quirós Alejandro,
Maroun-Eid Charbel,
Avendaño-Ortiz José,
Lozano-Rodríguez Roberto,
Valentín Quiroga Jaime,
Terrón Verónica,
Montalbán-Hernández Karla,
García-Garrido Miguel A.,
Muñoz del Val Elena,
del Balzo-Castillo Álvaro,
Rubio Carolina,
Cubillos-Zapata Carolina,
Aguirre Luis A.,
López-Collazo Eduardo
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
biomedicine hub
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2296-6870
DOI - 10.1159/000514727
Subject(s) - novel insights from clinical practice
We report the disparate clinical progression of a couple infected by SARS-CoV-2 based on their immune checkpoint (IC) levels and immune cell distribution in blood from admission to exitus in patient 1 and from admission to discharge and recovery in patient 2. A detailed clinical follow-up accompanied by a longitudinal analysis of immune phenotypes and IC levels is shown. The continuous increase in the soluble IC ligand galectin-9 (Gal-9) and the increment in T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-containing 3 (TIM-3) protein in T cells in patient 1 suggests an activation of the Gal-9/TIM-3 axis and, subsequently, a potential cell exhaustion in this patient that did not occur in patient 2. Our data indicate that the Gal-9/TIM-3 axis could be a potential target in this clinical setting, along with a patent effector memory T-cell reduction.