tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Eur J Immunol
. 2022 Apr 13.
doi: 10.1002/eji.202149470. Online ahead of print.
Natural killer cell-mediated ADCC in SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals and vaccine recipients
Kerri Hagemann[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Kristoffer Riecken[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Johannes Jung[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Heike Hildebrandt[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Stephan Menzel[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Madeleine Bunders[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Boris Fehse[SUP] 2 5 [/SUP], Friedrich Koch-Nolte[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Fabian Heinrich[SUP] 6 7 [/SUP], Sven Peine[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Julian Schulze Zur Wiesch[SUP] 5 9 [/SUP], Thomas T Brehm[SUP] 5 9 [/SUP], Marylyn M Addo[SUP] 5 9 10 [/SUP], Marc Lütgehetmann[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Marcus Altfeld[SUP] 1 5 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has emerged as a global pandemic. While immune responses of the adaptive immune system have been in the focus of research, the role of NK cells in COVID-19 remains less well understood. Here we characterized NK cell-mediated SARS-CoV-2 antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) against SARS-CoV-2 spike-1 (S1) and nucleocapsid (NC) protein. Serum samples from SARS-CoV-2 resolvers induced significant CD107a-expression by NK cells in response to S1 and NC, while serum samples from SARS-CoV-2-negative individuals did not. Furthermore, serum samples from individuals that received the BNT162b2 vaccine induced strong CD107a-expression by NK cells that increased with the second vaccination and was significantly higher than observed in infected individuals. As expected, vaccine-induced responses were only directed against S1 and not against NC protein. S1-specific CD107a responses by NK cells were significantly correlated to NK cell-mediated killing of S1-expressing cells. Interestingly, screening of serum samples collected prior to the COVID-19 pandemic identified two individuals with cross-reactive antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 S1, which also induced degranulation of NK cells. Taken together, these data demonstrate that antibodies induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection and anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccines can trigger significant NK cell-mediated ADCC activity, and identify some cross-reactive ADCC-activity against SARS-CoV-2 by endemic coronavirus-specific antibodies. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Keywords: ADCC; COVID-19; NK cells; innate immunity; vaccine.
. 2022 Apr 13.
doi: 10.1002/eji.202149470. Online ahead of print.
Natural killer cell-mediated ADCC in SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals and vaccine recipients
Kerri Hagemann[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Kristoffer Riecken[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Johannes Jung[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Heike Hildebrandt[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Stephan Menzel[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Madeleine Bunders[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Boris Fehse[SUP] 2 5 [/SUP], Friedrich Koch-Nolte[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Fabian Heinrich[SUP] 6 7 [/SUP], Sven Peine[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Julian Schulze Zur Wiesch[SUP] 5 9 [/SUP], Thomas T Brehm[SUP] 5 9 [/SUP], Marylyn M Addo[SUP] 5 9 10 [/SUP], Marc Lütgehetmann[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Marcus Altfeld[SUP] 1 5 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 35416291
- DOI: 10.1002/eji.202149470
Abstract
COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has emerged as a global pandemic. While immune responses of the adaptive immune system have been in the focus of research, the role of NK cells in COVID-19 remains less well understood. Here we characterized NK cell-mediated SARS-CoV-2 antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) against SARS-CoV-2 spike-1 (S1) and nucleocapsid (NC) protein. Serum samples from SARS-CoV-2 resolvers induced significant CD107a-expression by NK cells in response to S1 and NC, while serum samples from SARS-CoV-2-negative individuals did not. Furthermore, serum samples from individuals that received the BNT162b2 vaccine induced strong CD107a-expression by NK cells that increased with the second vaccination and was significantly higher than observed in infected individuals. As expected, vaccine-induced responses were only directed against S1 and not against NC protein. S1-specific CD107a responses by NK cells were significantly correlated to NK cell-mediated killing of S1-expressing cells. Interestingly, screening of serum samples collected prior to the COVID-19 pandemic identified two individuals with cross-reactive antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 S1, which also induced degranulation of NK cells. Taken together, these data demonstrate that antibodies induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection and anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccines can trigger significant NK cell-mediated ADCC activity, and identify some cross-reactive ADCC-activity against SARS-CoV-2 by endemic coronavirus-specific antibodies. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Keywords: ADCC; COVID-19; NK cells; innate immunity; vaccine.