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Eur J Immunol
. 2021 Oct 2.
doi: 10.1002/eji.202149556. Online ahead of print.
Characterization of SARS-CoV-2 and common cold coronavirus-specific T cell responses in MIS-C and Kawasaki disease children
Li-En Hsieh 1 , Alba Grifoni 2 , John Sidney 2 , Chisato Shimizu 1 , Hiroko Shike 3 , Nanda Ramchandar 1 , Elizabeth Moreno 1 , Adriana H Tremoulet 1 , Jane C Burns 1 , Alessandra Franco 1
Affiliations
- PMID: 34599760
- DOI: 10.1002/eji.202149556
Abstract
The immunopathogenesis of multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) in children that may follow exposure to SARS-CoV-2 is incompletely understood. Here, we studied SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells in MIS-C, Kawasaki disease (KD), and SARS-CoV-2 convalescent controls using peptide pools derived from SARS-CoV-2 spike or non-spike proteins, and common cold coronaviruses (CCC). Coordinated CD4+ and CD8+ SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells were detected in five MIS-C subjects with cross-reactivity to CCC. CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses alone were documented in three and one subjects, respectively. T cell specificities in MIS-C did not correlate with disease severity and were similar to SARS-CoV-2 convalescent controls. T cell memory and cross-reactivity to CCC in MIS-C and SARS-CoV-2 convalescent controls were also similar. The chemokine receptor CCR6, but not CCR9, was highly expressed on SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4+ but not CD8+ T cells. Only two of 10 KD subjects showed a T cell response to CCC. Enumeration of myeloid antigen presenting cells revealed low cell precursors in MIS-C subjects compared to KD. In summary, children with MIS-C mount a normal T cell response to SARS-CoV-2 with no apparent relationship to antecedent CCC exposure. Low numbers of tolerogenic myeloid dendritic cells may impair their anti-inflammatory response. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Kawasaki disease; SARS-CoV-2; T cell memory; T cells; multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C).