Mary Wilson
Well-known member
14 Sep 2021
DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.abk0894
JULIA NIESSL, TAKUYA SEKINE, JOSHUA LANGE, VIKTORIA KONYA, MARIANNE FORKEL, JOVANA MARICANNA, RAOLUCA MAZZURANA, EFTHYMIA KOKKINOU, [...] MARCUS BUGGERT
+ 10 authors
Abstract
Cross-reactive CD4[SUP]+[/SUP] T cells that recognize SARS-CoV-2 are more commonly detected in the peripheral blood of unexposed individuals compared to SARS-CoV-2-reactive CD8[SUP]+[/SUP]T cells. However, large numbers of memory CD8[SUP]+[/SUP] T cells reside in tissues, feasibly harboring localized SARS-CoV-2-specific immune responses. To test this idea, we performed a comprehensive functional and phenotypic analysis of virus-specific T cells in tonsils, a major lymphoid tissue site in the upper respiratory tract, and matched peripheral blood samples obtained from children and adults before the emergence of COVID-19. We found that SARS-CoV-2-specific memory CD4[SUP]+[/SUP] T cells could be found at similar frequencies in the tonsils and peripheral blood in unexposed individuals, whereas functional SARS-CoV-2-specific memory CD8[SUP]+[/SUP] T cells were almost only detectable in the tonsils. Tonsillar SARS-CoV-2-specific memory CD8[SUP]+[/SUP] T cells displayed a follicular homing and tissue-resident memory phenotype, similar to tonsillar Epstein-Barr virus-specific memory CD8[SUP]+[/SUP] T cells, but were functionally less potent than other virus-specific memory CD8[SUP]+[/SUP] T cell responses. The presence of pre-existing tissue-resident memory CD8[SUP]+[/SUP] T cells in unexposed individuals could potentially enable rapid sentinel immune responses against SARS-CoV-2.
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciimmunol.abk0894
DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.abk0894
JULIA NIESSL, TAKUYA SEKINE, JOSHUA LANGE, VIKTORIA KONYA, MARIANNE FORKEL, JOVANA MARICANNA, RAOLUCA MAZZURANA, EFTHYMIA KOKKINOU, [...] MARCUS BUGGERT
+ 10 authors
Abstract
Cross-reactive CD4[SUP]+[/SUP] T cells that recognize SARS-CoV-2 are more commonly detected in the peripheral blood of unexposed individuals compared to SARS-CoV-2-reactive CD8[SUP]+[/SUP]T cells. However, large numbers of memory CD8[SUP]+[/SUP] T cells reside in tissues, feasibly harboring localized SARS-CoV-2-specific immune responses. To test this idea, we performed a comprehensive functional and phenotypic analysis of virus-specific T cells in tonsils, a major lymphoid tissue site in the upper respiratory tract, and matched peripheral blood samples obtained from children and adults before the emergence of COVID-19. We found that SARS-CoV-2-specific memory CD4[SUP]+[/SUP] T cells could be found at similar frequencies in the tonsils and peripheral blood in unexposed individuals, whereas functional SARS-CoV-2-specific memory CD8[SUP]+[/SUP] T cells were almost only detectable in the tonsils. Tonsillar SARS-CoV-2-specific memory CD8[SUP]+[/SUP] T cells displayed a follicular homing and tissue-resident memory phenotype, similar to tonsillar Epstein-Barr virus-specific memory CD8[SUP]+[/SUP] T cells, but were functionally less potent than other virus-specific memory CD8[SUP]+[/SUP] T cell responses. The presence of pre-existing tissue-resident memory CD8[SUP]+[/SUP] T cells in unexposed individuals could potentially enable rapid sentinel immune responses against SARS-CoV-2.
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciimmunol.abk0894