W174 - Investigating Airway Immune Responses to Acute Respiratory Viral Infections in Individuals with Chronic Disease

Mat Altman – Benaroya Research Institute; Jane buckner – Benaroya Research Institute; karen Cerosaletti – Benaroya Research Institute; Anne Chaize – Benaroya Research Institute; naresh Doni Jayavelu – Benaroya Research Institute; Zoie franklin – Benaroya Research Institute; Matt Lawrence – Benaroya Research Institute; Carmen Mikacenic – Benaroya Research Institute

Abstract Text: Acute respiratory viral infections (ARVI) are the most frequently occurring global illness producing significant morbidity and mortality, especially in populations with chronic disease. In our Human Immunology Project Consortium - Respiratory Virus (HIPC-RV) study, we seek to understand the molecular and cellular immune signatures of the vulnerable host response to ARVI to identify novel therapies and individuals at risk for clinical complications through systems immunology approaches. In this preliminary study, we sought to understand changes in upper airway mucosal responses before, during, and after ARVI in a cohort of adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as well as age, sex-matched healthy controls. We evaluated induced sputum samples obtained at enrollment and one month after ARVI using high-dimensional flow cytometry (n=8 with additional collections ongoing), and single cell transcriptomics using the 10X flex protocol (n=2). We found that the proportions of B cells, CD4 T cells, and CD8 T cells were elevated at one-month post-ARVI compared to enrollment in both RA participants and healthy controls. Additional studies into the single cell profiles of these samples will help identify changes in transcriptional profiles over the same time period. Together, these studies provide novel insights into the dynamic changes in upper airway mucosal immune responses to ARVI.