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. 2022 Sep 6.
doi: 10.1016/j.eng.2022.08.007. Online ahead of print.

Differences in Immunoglobulin G Glycosylation Between Influenza and COVID-19 Patients

Marina Kljaković-Gašpić Batinjan  1 , Tea Petrović  2 , Frano Vučković  2 , Irzal Hadžibegović  3   4 , Barbara Radovani  5 , Ivana Jurin  3 , Lovorka Đerek  6 , Eva Huljev  7 , Alemka Markotić  8   9   10 , Ivica Lukšić  11 , Irena Trbojević-Akmačić  2 , Gordan Lauc  2   12 , Ivan Gudelj  2   5 , Rok Čivljak  7   13
Affiliations

Differences in Immunoglobulin G Glycosylation Between Influenza and COVID-19 Patients

Marina Kljaković-Gašpić Batinjan et al. Engineering (Beijing). .

Abstract

The essential role of immunoglobulin G (IgG) in immune system regulation and combatting infectious diseases cannot be fully recognized without an understanding of the changes in its N-glycans attached to the asparagine 297 of the Fc domain that occur under such circumstances. These glycans impact the antibody stability, half-life, secretion, immunogenicity, and effector functions. Therefore, in this study, we analyzed and compared the total IgG glycome-at the level of individual glycan structures and derived glycosylation traits (sialylation, galactosylation, fucosylation, and bisecting N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc))-of 64 patients with influenza, 77 patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and 56 healthy controls. Our study revealed a significant decrease in IgG galactosylation, sialylation, and bisecting GlcNAc (where the latter shows the most significant decrease) in deceased COVID-19 patients, whereas IgG fucosylation was increased. On the other hand, IgG galactosylation remained stable in influenza patients and COVID-19 survivors. IgG glycosylation in influenza patients was more time-dependent: In the first seven days of the disease, sialylation increased and fucosylation and bisecting GlcNAc decreased; in the next 21 days, sialylation decreased and fucosylation increased (while bisecting GlcNAc remained stable). The similarity of IgG glycosylation changes in COVID-19 survivors and influenza patients may be the consequence of an adequate immune response to enveloped viruses, while the observed changes in deceased COVID-19 patients may indicate its deviation.

Keywords: COVID-19; Glycosylation; Immunoglobulin G; Influenza; Pneumonia; Viral infection.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
IgG glycan composition changes during one season of COVID-19 normalized to the first point.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
IgG glycan composition changes during three seasons of influenza infection normalized to the first point. T: time point.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
IgG glycan composition changes in COVID-19 survivors (No) and deceased COVID-19 patients (Yes).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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