Ex vivo RNA-seq in moderate COVID-19 monocytes

This dataset was used to compare gene expression profiles of ex vivo isolated classical CD14+ monocytes from patients with moderate COVID-19 to those of healthy individuals. Blood samples were taken from patients with moderate COVID-19 admitted to hospitals in London (Hammersmith Hospital, Charing Cross Hospital, Saint Mary’s Hospital) 3-14 days after disease onset and 0-2 days after hospitalization and positive PCR, and before study treatment initiation. Moderate patients displayed mild or moderate COVID-19 pneumonia, defined as grade 3 or 4 WHO severity. Samples were collected from March 2020 to February 2021. Healthy donors were Imperial College staff with no prior diagnosis of or recent symptoms consistent with COVID-19, and where possible, were matched in age and sex distribution with COVID-19 patients. None of the participants of this study were COVID-19 vaccinated. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated by Ficoll Hypaque (GE Healthcare) gradient centrifugation <4 hours after blood collection. CD14+ monocytes were isolated using a positive selection magnetic sorting kit (StemCell Technologies, UK) from total PBMC and stimulated with vehicle, UV-inactivated SARS-CoV-2 (CoV-2). RNA was isolated using the RNeasy Micro Plus Kit (QIAGEN) following the manufacturer’s guidelines. RNA-sequencing was performed by the Oxford Genomics Centre. PolyA-enriched strand- specific libraries were prepared using NEBNext Ultra II Directional RNA Library Prep Kits (Illumina). All samples were pooled together and 150bp PE reads were sequenced on a Novaseq 6000 system.

• 42 samples
• DAC: EGAC00001000205
• Technology: Illumina NovaSeq 6000