tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Clin Transl Immunology
. 2021 Jul 26;10(7):e1319.
doi: 10.1002/cti2.1319. eCollection 2021.
Decline in neutralising antibody responses, but sustained T-cell immunity, in COVID-19 patients at 7 months post-infection
Jun Chen[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Xiaomin Liu[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Xinyu Zhang[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Yixiao Lin[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Danping Liu[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Jingna Xun[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Zhenyan Wang[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ling Gu[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Qian Li[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Dan Yin[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Junyang Yang[SUP] 1 3 [/SUP], Hongzhou Lu[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
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[SUP]+[/SUP] T cells, but not CD8[SUP]+[/SUP] 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[SUP]+[/SUP] 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.
Keywords: COVID‐19; SARS‐CoV‐2; T cells; neutralising antibody.
. 2021 Jul 26;10(7):e1319.
doi: 10.1002/cti2.1319. eCollection 2021.
Decline in neutralising antibody responses, but sustained T-cell immunity, in COVID-19 patients at 7 months post-infection
Jun Chen[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Xiaomin Liu[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Xinyu Zhang[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Yixiao Lin[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Danping Liu[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Jingna Xun[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Zhenyan Wang[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ling Gu[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Qian Li[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Dan Yin[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Junyang Yang[SUP] 1 3 [/SUP], Hongzhou Lu[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 34336207
- PMCID: PMC8313961
- DOI: 10.1002/cti2.1319
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[SUP]+[/SUP] T cells, but not CD8[SUP]+[/SUP] 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[SUP]+[/SUP] 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.
Keywords: COVID‐19; SARS‐CoV‐2; T cells; neutralising antibody.