ABSTRACT
Serology studies provide limited information on immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This cross-sectional study aimed to assess prevalence and determinants of anti-SARS-CoV-2 cellular immunity in a cohort of heart transplant (HT) recipients. All consecutive HT recipients followed-up at our outpatient clinic between February and June 2022 providing informed consent were included in this observational cross-sectional study. We quantified SARS-CoV-2 Spike (S)-reactive and Nucleocapsid (N)-reactive T cells using enzyme-linked immunospot assay. A positive response was defined as S or N reactivity >8 spots/2 × 105 lymphocytes. Clinical characteristics, laboratory data, immunosuppressive regimen and vaccination status were compared between patients with and without SARS-CoV-2 S-reactive T cells. Categorical variables were described as number (%) and continuous variables with median [IQR]. Among 201 patients (age 58 [45-65] years, 77% males, time since transplantation 51 months [24-81]), 97 (48%) exhibit S-specific T cells, of which 58 had in addition N-reactive T cells. CD4 and CD8 T lymphocyte count, glomerular filtration rate, immunosuppressive regimen were associated with T cell response (Table). Among patients with detectable SARS-Co-V-2 cellular immunity, numbers of S-reactive T cells were higher in patients who had detectable N-reactive T cells (277 vs 93 /106 T cells) (Figure). Our study provides new information on cellular immunity against SARS-CoV-2 in HT recipients. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Heart & Lung Transplantation is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)