The Beauty of Simplicity: Delayed-Type Hypersensitivity Reaction to Measure Cellular Immune Responses in RNA-SARS-Cov-2 Vaccinated Individuals.

BACKGROUND: Monitoring cellular immune responses elicited in vaccinated individuals is highly complicated. METHODS: 28 individuals participated during the vaccination process with 12 BNT162b2 mRNA (Pfizer) vaccine. Specific anti-RBD IgG using a classic ELISA was performed in days 10 and 20 (after one dose of the vaccine) and on day 35 (after two vaccine doses) in serum samples of all participants. In parallel, DTH (delayed-type hypersensitivity) Skin Test using S protein was performed before (11/28) and after two doses (28/28) of the vaccine. RESULTS: 6/28 individuals were considered positive for the specific anti-RBD IgG positive at day 10, whereas all 28 individuals were positive at day 20. Moreover, 28/28 individuals increased the OD ratios at day 36 (2 doses). DTH cutaneous test was performed on 11/28 participants at day 20 (1 dose) showing 8/11 a positive reaction at 12 h. DTH of all participants was performed on day 36 (2 doses), showing 28/28 positive reactions at 12 h. CONCLUSION: This report describes the first publication of the results obtained using an in vivo method, the classical DTH response to the Spike protein to assess T-cell immune responses in vaccinated individuals. This affordable and simple test would help to answer basic immunogenicity questions on large-scale population vaccine studies.

A novel application of delayed-type hipersensitivity reaction to measure cellular immune response in SARS-CoV-2 exposed individuals.

OBJECTIVE: To understand the anti-virus adaptive immune response occurring during SARS-Cov-2 infection is necessary to have methods to investigate cellular and humoral components. The goal of this study has been to investigate the utility of a specific spike-DTH test using a coronavirus recombinant protein in COVID-19 patients. METHODS: DTH studies were performed by intradermal injection of a commercial recombinant spike protein from SARS-CoV-2 along with conventional serology studies. RESULTS: Fifty-one COVID-19 patients were studied showing 84,3% of concordance with spike-DTH and anti-RBD-IgG. Spike-DTH was superior to identify seven more COVID-19 individuals. A high specificity was found with no positive spike DTH reactions in the non-sick individuals. The skin test also showed more stable results over time while specific anti-RBD-IgG decreased gradually. Clinical severity groups also showed a progressive gradient of larger positive spike-DTH. CONCLUSION: Specific spike DTH test seems to be an easy method to study cell immune response.