Cytokine and Lymphocyte Profiles in COVID-19 Patients with Cancer: Implications for Disease Severity and Clinical Outcomes

Abstract Patients with cancer face a higher risk of severe complications, including death, when affected by COVID-19. Particularly in low- and middle-income countries, COVID-19 pandemic has placed a heavy burden on the public health systems, necessitating adjustments in the clinical management of cancer patients. Numerous factors have been identified to influence susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection and disease severity, but the determinants of severe outcomes remain largely unknown. This study aims to characterize the cytokine and lymphocyte profiles of cancer patients with COVID-19, correlate these profiles with disease severity, and compare them to non-cancer patients. Our findings revealed reduced CXCL10 (IP-10) and MIF levels in cancer patients with COVID-19 and discriminated against disease severity. CXCL10 was further elevated in severe COVID-19 cancer patients compared to mild COVID-19 cancer patients. Additionally, cancer patients with COVID-19 exhibited reduced T lymphocytes, expansion of regulatory cells, a shift from effector memory to central memory T-cells, and increased levels of exhausted T lymphocytes. In conclusion, our data suggest that the distinct immunological profile observed in cancer patients with COVID-19 may negatively impact the clinical outcomes, highlighting potential implications for cancer patient management.