Volume 75, Issue 10 pp. 2445-2476
EAACI POSITION PAPER

Immunology of COVID-19: Mechanisms, clinical outcome, diagnostics, and perspectives—A report of the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI)

Milena Sokolowska

Corresponding Author

Milena Sokolowska

Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), University of Zurich, Davos, Switzerland

Christine Kühne - Center for Allergy Research and Education (CK-CARE), Davos, Switzerland

Correspondence

Milena Sokolowska, Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), University of Zurich, Davos, Switzerland.

Email: [email protected]

Eva Untersmayr, Institute of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Center of Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, E3Q, 1090 Vienna, Austria.

Email: [email protected]

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Zuzanna M. Lukasik

Zuzanna M. Lukasik

Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), University of Zurich, Davos, Switzerland

Department of Rheumatology, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland

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Ioana Agache

Ioana Agache

Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Transylvania University, Brasov, Romania

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Cezmi A. Akdis

Cezmi A. Akdis

Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), University of Zurich, Davos, Switzerland

Christine Kühne - Center for Allergy Research and Education (CK-CARE), Davos, Switzerland

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Deniz Akdis

Deniz Akdis

University Heart Center Zurich, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

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Mübeccel Akdis

Mübeccel Akdis

Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), University of Zurich, Davos, Switzerland

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Weronika Barcik

Weronika Barcik

Genetics of Cognition laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy

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Helen A. Brough

Helen A. Brough

Paediatric Allergy Group, Department of Women and Children's Health, School of Life Course Sciences, St. Thomas' Hospital, King's College London, London, UK

Children's Allergy Service, Evelina Children's Hospital, Guy's and St.Thomas' Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK

Paediatric Allergy Group, Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, School of Immunology and Microbial Sciences, Guys' Hospital, King's College London, London, UK

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Thomas Eiwegger

Thomas Eiwegger

Division of Immunology and Allergy, Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada

Translational Medicine Program, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada

Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

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Andrzej Eljaszewicz

Andrzej Eljaszewicz

Department of Regenerative Medicine and Immune Regulation, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland

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Stefanie Eyerich

Stefanie Eyerich

Center for Allergy and Environment (ZAUM), Technical University and Helmholtz Center Munich, Munich, Germany

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Wojciech Feleszko

Wojciech Feleszko

Department of Pediatric Pneumonology and Allergy, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland

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Cristina Gomez-Casado

Cristina Gomez-Casado

Institute of Applied Molecular Medicine, Hospitals Madrid (HM) Group, San Pablo-CEU University, Madrid, Spain

ARADyAL, RD16/0006/0015, Thematic Network and Cooperative Research Centers, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain

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Karin Hoffmann-Sommergruber

Karin Hoffmann-Sommergruber

Institute of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Center of Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

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Jozef Janda

Jozef Janda

Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

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Rodrigo Jiménez-Saiz

Rodrigo Jiménez-Saiz

Department of Immunology and Oncology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain

Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

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Marek Jutel

Marek Jutel

Department of Clinical Immunology, Wroclaw Medical University, Wrocław, Poland

ALL-MED Medical Research Institute, Wroclaw, Poland

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Edward F. Knol

Edward F. Knol

Departments of Immunology and Dermatology/Allergology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands

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Inge Kortekaas Krohn

Inge Kortekaas Krohn

SKIN Research Group, Department of Dermatology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel/Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Brussels, Belgium

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Akash Kothari

Akash Kothari

Translational Medicine Program, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada

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Joanna Makowska

Joanna Makowska

Department of Rheumatology, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland

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Marcin Moniuszko

Marcin Moniuszko

Department of Regenerative Medicine and Immune Regulation, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland

Department of Allergology and Internal Medicine, Medical University of Bialystok, Poland

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Hideaki Morita

Hideaki Morita

Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Japan

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Liam O'Mahony

Liam O'Mahony

Departments of Medicine and Microbiology, APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland

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Kari Nadeau

Kari Nadeau

Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research at Stanford University, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA

Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA

Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA

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Cevdet Ozdemir

Cevdet Ozdemir

Department of Pediatric Basic Sciences, Institute of Child Health, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey

Division of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey

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Isabella Pali-Schöll

Isabella Pali-Schöll

Institute of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Center of Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

Comparative Medicine, Interuniversity Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine and Medical University Vienna, Austria

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Oscar Palomares

Oscar Palomares

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Chemistry School, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain

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Francesco Papaleo

Francesco Papaleo

Genetics of Cognition laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy

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Mary Prunicki

Mary Prunicki

Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research at Stanford University, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA

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Carsten B. Schmidt-Weber

Carsten B. Schmidt-Weber

Center for Allergy and Environment (ZAUM), Technical University and Helmholtz Center Munich, Munich, Germany

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Anna Sediva

Anna Sediva

Department of Immunology, Motol University Hospital, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague

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Jürgen Schwarze

Jürgen Schwarze

Centre for Inflammation Research and Child Life and Health, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK

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Mohamed H. Shamji

Mohamed H. Shamji

Immunomodulation and Tolerance Group, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Inflammation, Repair and Development, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London. Asthma UK Centre in Allergic Mechanisms of Asthma, London, UK

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Gerdien A. Tramper-Stranders

Gerdien A. Tramper-Stranders

Department of Paediatric Medicine, Franciscus Gasthuis & Vlietland, Rotterdam, the Netherlands

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Willem van de Veen

Willem van de Veen

Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), University of Zurich, Davos, Switzerland

Christine Kühne - Center for Allergy Research and Education (CK-CARE), Davos, Switzerland

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Eva Untersmayr

Corresponding Author

Eva Untersmayr

Institute of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Center of Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

Correspondence

Milena Sokolowska, Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), University of Zurich, Davos, Switzerland.

Email: [email protected]

Eva Untersmayr, Institute of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Center of Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, E3Q, 1090 Vienna, Austria.

Email: [email protected]

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First published: 25 June 2020
Citations: 132

Abstract

With the worldwide spread of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) resulting in declaration of a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020, the SARS-CoV-2-induced coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) has become one of the main challenges of our times. The high infection rate and the severe disease course led to major safety and social restriction measures worldwide. There is an urgent need of unbiased expert knowledge guiding the development of efficient treatment and prevention strategies. This report summarizes current immunological data on mechanisms associated with the SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 development and progression to the most severe forms. We characterize the differences between adequate innate and adaptive immune response in mild disease and the deep immune dysfunction in the severe multiorgan disease. The similarities of the human immune response to SARS-CoV-2 and the SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV are underlined. We also summarize known and potential SARS-CoV-2 receptors on epithelial barriers, immune cells, endothelium and clinically involved organs such as lung, gut, kidney, cardiovascular, and neuronal system. Finally, we discuss the known and potential mechanisms underlying the involvement of comorbidities, gender, and age in development of COVID-19. Consequently, we highlight the knowledge gaps and urgent research requirements to provide a quick roadmap for ongoing and needed COVID-19 studies.

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