Convalescent Plasma Found to Spark Hidden Inflammation in Severe COVID-19 Patients
Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Jan 09, 2026 17 hours, 14 minutes ago
Medical News: Hidden immune surprises after convalescent plasma
A new study from China warns that convalescent plasma treatment may trigger unexpected immune reactions in people already battling severe COVID-19, raising fresh questions about a therapy once hailed as lifesaving.
Scientists find convalescent plasma may boost inflammation and disrupt immune cell teamwork in severe COVID-19
Researchers involved in the work came from: The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University and Sun Yat-sen University
What the scientists set out to uncover
The team wanted to better understand why many clinical trials found little benefit from convalescent plasma in the sickest patients. Convalescent plasma contains antibodies from recovered COVID-19 survivors and was widely used early in the pandemic. Yet many large studies showed no major drops in deaths or time spent in hospital.
To uncover the hidden biology, scientists collected blood from six individuals with severe COVID-19 before and 24 hours after they received plasma. Using cutting-edge single-cell sequencing, they mapped how every major type of immune cell changed.
Small boosts in T and B cells
At first glance, the therapy appeared mildly helpful. T cells and B cells—the body’s frontline virus fighters—showed only a slight increase in number after plasma treatment. However, the team could not detect meaningful changes in the diversity or strength of virus-fighting receptors carried on those cells, suggesting no big rise in protective immunity.
In other words, the body gained a few more defenders, but they were not significantly better armed or coordinated.
A surprising inflammatory switch
The real twist came when the researchers zoomed into the gene activity of individual cells. They spotted spikes in a molecule called S100A8 across CD4 memory T cells and several kinds of B cells, a warning sign of heightened inflammation. This particular gene is well known for switching on immune overdrive in serious infections.
Here lies the unexpected irony noted in this
Medical News report: a treatment meant to help stabilize the immune system might actually worsen inflammation in some severely ill patients.
Breakdown in immune teamwork
Another red flag emerged when researchers inspected cellular “conversations”. Before treatment, natural killer (NK) cells—key early responders—exchanged signals with both T cells and B cells. Within 24 hours of receiving plasma, those communication bridges largely collapsed. Without them, the immune system becomes more chaotic, less coordinated, and potentially more damaging as inflammation rises.
What the findings mean
The study suggests convalescent plasma may assist patients only when thei
r immune systems remain functional enough to use the antibodies effectively. In severe cases already overwhelmed by inflammation, the transfused antibodies might tip the system into further imbalance—fueling inflammation instead of controlling it.
These results also help explain why large clinical trials saw little improvement or survival benefit. The authors write that combining plasma with drugs that suppress inflammation may yield better outcomes, particularly in older adults whose immune systems are already strained.
Conclusion
The research strongly indicates that convalescent plasma is not a one-size-fits-all therapy. While it delivers valuable antibodies, it may also nudge the immune system toward greater instability in people whose bodies are already inflamed. The findings point toward a future where convalescent plasma is used more selectively, guided by immune markers and paired with treatments that calm runaway inflammation.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: Genomics
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0888754325002071
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Read Also:
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/coronavirus
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/long-covid
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