Multi‐omic and comparative analyses revealed monocyte‐derived alpha‐defensin‐1 correlated with COVID‐19 severity and inhibited SARS‐CoV‐2 infection

Abstract Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) is the etiological pathogen of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), a highly contagious disease, spreading quickly and threatening global public health. The symptoms of COVID‐19 vary from mild reactions to severe respiratory distress or even fatal outcomes probably due to the different status of host immunity against the virus. Here in the study, we unveiled plasma proteomic signatures and transcriptional patterns of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) using blood samples of 10 COVID‐19 patients with different severity. Through systemic analysis, α‐defensin‐1 (DEFA1) was identified to be elevated in both plasma and PBMCs, and correlated with disease severity and stages. In vitro study demonstrated that DEFA1 was secreted from immunocytes and suppressed SARS‐CoV‐2 infection of both original and mutated strains with dose dependency. By using sequencing data, we discovered that DEFA1 was activated in monocytes through NF‐κB signaling pathway after infection, and secreted into circulation to perturb SARS‐CoV‐2 infection by interfering protein kinase C expression. It worked mainly during virus replication instead of entry in host cells. Together, the anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 mechanism of DEFA1 has unveiled a corner of how innate immunity is against SARS‐CoV‐2 and explored its clinical potential in disease prognosis and therapeutic intervention.