Decline in neutralising antibody responses, but sustained T-cell immunity, in COVID-19 patients at 7 months post-infection.
Clin Transl Immunology
; 10(7): e1319, 2021.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1326764
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES:
This study aimed to explore the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-specific humoral responses and T-cell responses in patients who have recovered from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) to understand the natural protective immune responses and to facilitate the development of vaccines.METHODS:
We conducted a combined assessment of the changes in neutralising antibody levels and SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell responses over time in 27 patients up to 7 months after infection.RESULTS:
The neutralising antibody remained detectable in 96.3% of the patients at their second visit at about 7 months post-onset of symptoms. However, their humoral responses, including titres of the spike receptor-binding domain IgG and neutralising antibody, decreased significantly compared with those at first clinic visit. By contrast, the proportions of spike-specific CD4+ T cells, but not CD8+ T cells, in COVID-19 patients after recovery were persistently higher than those in healthy controls. No significant change was observed in the proportion of spike-specific CD4+ T cells in patients who had recovered from COVID-19 within 7 months.CONCLUSION:
The SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell immune responses persisted, while the neutralising antibodies decayed. Further studies are needed to extend the longevity of neutralising antibodies and to evaluate whether these T cells are sufficient to protect patients from reinfection.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
Topics:
Long Covid
/
Vaccines
Language:
English
Journal:
Clin Transl Immunology
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
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