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Clin Transl Immunology
. 2021 Mar 17;10(3):e1264.
doi: 10.1002/cti2.1264. eCollection 2021.
Adaptive immunity to human coronaviruses is widespread but low in magnitude
Hyon-Xhi Tan 1 , Wen Shi Lee 1 , Kathleen M Wragg 1 , Christina Nelson 1 , Robyn Esterbauer 1 , Hannah G Kelly 1 2 , Thakshila Amarasena 1 , Robert Jones 3 , Graham Starkey 3 , Bao Zhong Wang 3 , Osamu Yoshino 3 , Thomas Tiang 3 , Michael Lindsay Grayson 4 , Helen Opdam 5 6 , Rohit D'Costa 7 8 , Angela Vago 3 , Austin Liver Transplant Perfusionist Group; Laura K Mackay 1 , Claire L Gordon 1 4 , Adam K Wheatley 1 , Stephen J Kent 1 2 9 , Jennifer A Juno 1
Collaborators, Affiliations
- PMID: 33747512
- PMCID: PMC7968850
- DOI: 10.1002/cti2.1264
Abstract
Objectives: Endemic human coronaviruses (hCoVs) circulate worldwide but cause minimal mortality. Although seroconversion to hCoV is near ubiquitous during childhood, little is known about hCoV-specific T-cell memory in adults.
Methods: We quantified CD4 T-cell and antibody responses to hCoV spike antigens in 42 SARS-CoV-2-uninfected individuals. Antigen-specific memory T cells and circulating T follicular helper (cTFH) cells were identified using an activation-induced marker assay and characterised for memory phenotype and chemokine receptor expression.
Results: T-cell responses were widespread within conventional memory and cTFH compartments but did not correlate with IgG titres. SARS-CoV-2 cross-reactive T cells were observed in 48% of participants and correlated with HKU1 memory. hCoV-specific T cells exhibited a CCR6+ central memory phenotype in the blood, but were enriched for frequency and CXCR3 expression in human lung-draining lymph nodes.
Conclusion: Overall, hCoV-specific humoral and cellular memory are independently maintained, with a shared phenotype existing among coronavirus-specific CD4 T cells. This understanding of endemic coronavirus immunity provides insight into the homeostatic maintenance of immune responses that are likely to be critical components of protection against SARS-CoV-2.
Keywords: CD4 T cell; SARS?CoV?2; cTFH; coronavirus; hCoV; lymph node.