The percentage of Monocytes CD39+ is higher in Pregnant COVID-19 than in Non-Pregnant COVID-19 patients

Abstract

Current medical guidelines consider COVID-19 pregnant women a high-risk group. Physiological gestation down regulates the immunological response to maintain "maternal-fetal tolerance"; hence, a SARS-CoV-2 infection constitutes a potentially threatening condition to both the mother and the fetus. To establish the immune profile in pregnant COVID-19+ patients a cross-sectional study was conducted. Leukocyte immunophenotype, mononuclear leukocyte response to polyclonal stimulus and cytokine/chemokine serum concentration were analyzed in pregnant fifteen COVID-19+ and control groups (fifteen non-pregnant COVID-19+, and thirteen pregnant COVID-19-women). Pregnant COVID-19+ patients exhibit lower percentages of monocytes HLA-DR+ compared with control groups. Nevertheless, pregnant COVID-19+ women show a higher percentage of monocytes CD39+ than controls. Furthermore, a higher concentration of TNF-, IL-6, MIP1b and IL-4 was observed within the pregnant COVID-19+ group. Our result shows that pregnant women express immunological characteristics that potentially mediate the immune response in COVID-19.