The Predictive Value of NKG2A+ NK Cells Incorporating Clinical and
Laboratory Characteristics of Severe COVID-19 Patients
Abstract
This study established a prediction model for the severity of COVID-19
by analyzing NKG2A + NK cells incorporating laboratory
indicators in moderate and severe COVID-19 patients. By classifying
patients based on disease severity, we identified nine key laboratory
indicators significantly associated with disease progression: WBC, N, L,
NLR, PDW, D-D, CRP, LDH, and IL-6. Through correlation matrix and random
forest models, CRP, IL-6, LDH, NLR, L, and D-D were identified as key
indicators for the baseline prediction model. Age-stratified analysis
revealed that patients over 80 years old have higher inflammation and
thrombotic risk. Further stratification by comorbidities and APACHE-II
scores confirmed the significance of these six indicators in different
patient subgroups. In addition, analysis showed that severe patients had
higher levels of NKG2A + NK cells, correlating with
decreased lymphocytes and increased NLR, D-D, LDH, CRP, and IL-6. Adding
NKG2A + NK cells to the prediction model improved its
AUC value. This was validated in patients with the SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan
strain, where blocking NKG2A enhanced NKG2D + NK cell
activity, In summary, NKG2A + NK cells incorporating
laboratory indicators as a key predictive indicator highlight its
potential for improving patient stratification and targeted therapeutic
strategies.