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SARS-CoV-2-SPECIFIC T CELLS ASSOCIATED with LUNG DYSFUNCTION in LONG COVID-19
Topics in Antiviral Medicine ; 30(1 SUPPL):120, 2022.
Article in English | EMBASE | ID: covidwho-1880521
ABSTRACT

Background:

After infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a significant number of individuals develop post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) marked by prolonged symptoms, including persistent pulmonary dysfunction. An estimated 5-20% of those infected with SARS-CoV-2 will go on to develop PASC. T cells and inflammation contribute significantly to severe COVID-19 and similar chronic conditions;however, little is known about the role of persistent inflammation and SARS-CoV-2-specific immunity in PASC. The objective of this study is to compare inflammatory markers, frequencies of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells, and pulmonary function in subjects who recovered from acute COVID infection (AC) and PASC.

Methods:

We collected blood samples from 35 individuals after recovery from SARS-CoV-2 infection and divided the cohort by symptom duration into AC or PASC. We measured T cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 surface proteins, assessed levels of inflammatory markers in the plasma and measured pulmonary function. The Mann-Whitney U test were utilized to examine differences between groups. Correlations were calculated using the nonparametric Spearman test. P values of <0.05 were considered statistically significant.

Results:

Compared to AC, subjects with PASC had significantly elevated plasma CRP and IL-6 and up to a hundred-fold increase in the frequency of IFN-γ-and TNF-α-producing SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in blood. Importantly, the frequency of SARS-CoV-2-specific, TNF-α-producing CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in PASC positively correlated with plasma IL-6 and negatively correlated with measures of lung function, including FEV1, while increased frequencies of IFN-γ-producing T cells were associated with the duration of respiratory symptoms during the post-acute period.

Conclusion:

Significant immunological differences exist between subjects with PASC and AC that are associated with increased inflammation and pulmonary dysfunction, suggesting that persistent immunologic differences may drive ongoing symptoms in PASC. The persistence of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells in PASC suggests the presence of persistent viral reservoirs as a possible mechanism behind PASC etiology.
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Collection: Databases of international organizations Database: EMBASE Topics: Long Covid Language: English Journal: Topics in Antiviral Medicine Year: 2022 Document Type: Article

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Collection: Databases of international organizations Database: EMBASE Topics: Long Covid Language: English Journal: Topics in Antiviral Medicine Year: 2022 Document Type: Article