COVID-19 immune signatures reveal stable antiviral T cell function despite declining humoral responses.
Immunity
; 54(2): 340-354.e6, 2021 02 09.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1071479
ABSTRACT
Cellular and humoral immunity to SARS-CoV-2 is critical to control primary infection and correlates with severity of disease. The role of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell immunity, its relationship to antibodies, and pre-existing immunity against endemic coronaviruses (huCoV), which has been hypothesized to be protective, were investigated in 82 healthy donors (HDs), 204 recovered (RCs), and 92 active COVID-19 patients (ACs). ACs had high amounts of anti-SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid and spike IgG but lymphopenia and overall reduced antiviral T cell responses due to the inflammatory milieu, expression of inhibitory molecules (PD-1, Tim-3) as well as effector caspase-3, -7, and -8 activity in T cells. SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell immunity conferred by polyfunctional, mainly interferon-γ-secreting CD4+ T cells remained stable throughout convalescence, whereas humoral responses declined. Immune responses toward huCoV in RCs with mild disease and strong cellular SARS-CoV-2 T cell reactivity imply a protective role of pre-existing immunity against huCoV.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes
/
COVID-19
/
Immunity, Cellular
Type of study:
Prognostic study
Limits:
Adult
/
Aged
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
/
Young adult
Language:
English
Journal:
Immunity
Journal subject:
Allergy and Immunology
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
J.immuni.2021.01.008
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