Impact of adaptive natural killer cells, KLRC2 genotype and cytomegalovirus reactivation on late mortality in patients with severe COVID‐19 lung disease

OBJECTIVE: SARS‐CoV‐2 infection results in severe lung disease in up to 50% of hospitalised patients. The aetiopathogenesis in a subset of such patients, who continue to have progressive pulmonary disease following virus clearance, remains unexplored. METHODS: We investigated the role of NKG2C(+)/NKG2A(−) adaptive natural killer (ANK) cells, KLRC2 genotype and cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation in 22 such patients. RESULTS: The median duration of virus positivity was 23 days, and the median duration of hospitalisation was 48 days. The overall survival at 60 days in this group was 50%. Older age and comorbidities impacted survival negatively. CMV viraemia was documented in 11 patients, with a survival of 25% vs 80% in those without viraemia with viral load correlating with mortality. Both NK and T cells were markedly depressed in all patients at day 15. However, only persistently low ANK cells at 30 days along with an inversely high NKG2C(−)/NKG2A(+) inhibitory NK cells significantly correlated with high CMV viraemia and mortality, irrespective of KLRC2 genotype. However, day 30 ANK cells were significantly lower in the KLRC2 deletion group. The release of IFN‐γ and perforin was severely compromised in all patients at day +15, with significant improvement in the survivors at day +30, but not in those with adverse outcome. CONCLUSION: Patients with progressive lung disease even after negative SARS‐CoV‐2 status, with persistently reduced and functionally compromised ANK cells, are more likely to have CMV reactivation and an adverse outcome, independent of KLRC2 genotype.