tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
In Vivo
. 2023 Jan-Feb;37(1):70-78.
doi: 10.21873/invivo.13055.
Age-related Differences in Immune Reactions to SARS-CoV-2 Spike and Nucleocapsid Antigens
Patrick Morhart[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sven Kehl[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Wolfgang Schuh[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Katharina Hermes[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Stefan Meltendorf[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Antje Neubert[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Michael Schneider[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Monika Brunner-Weinzierl[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Holm Schneider[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Holger Lingel[SUP] 5 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background/aim: The manifestation and severity of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections show a clear correlation to the age of a patient. The younger a person, the less likely the infection results in significant illness. To explore the immunological characteristics behind this phenomenon, we studied the course of SARS-CoV-2 infections in 11 households, including 8 children and 6 infants/neonates of women who got infected with SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy.
Materials and methods: We investigated the immune responses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells (UCBCs), and T cells against spike and nucleocapsid antigens of SARS-COV-2 by flow cytometry and cytokine secretion assays.
Results: Upon peptide stimulation, UCBC from neonates showed a strongly reduced IFN-γ production, as well as lower levels of IL-5, IL-13, and TNF-α alongside with decreased frequencies of surface CD137/PD-1 co-expressing CD4[SUP]+[/SUP] and CD+8 T cells compared with adult PBMCs. The PBMC response of older children instead was characterized by elevated frequencies of IFN-γ+ CD4[SUP]+[/SUP] T cells, but significantly lower levels of multiple cytokines (IL-5, IL-6, IL-9, IL-10, IL-17A, and TNF-α) and a marked shift of the CD4[SUP]+[/SUP]/CD8[SUP]+[/SUP] T-cell ratio towards CD8[SUP]+[/SUP] T cells in comparison to adults.
Conclusion: The increased severity of SARS-CoV-2 infections in adults could result from the strong cytokine production and lower potential to immunomodulate the excessive inflammation, while the limited IFN-γ production of responding T cells in infants/neonates and the additional higher frequencies of CD8[SUP]+[/SUP] T cells in older children may provide advantages during the course of a SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; children; immune response; inflammation; neonates; pediatric immunology; spike protein.
. 2023 Jan-Feb;37(1):70-78.
doi: 10.21873/invivo.13055.
Age-related Differences in Immune Reactions to SARS-CoV-2 Spike and Nucleocapsid Antigens
Patrick Morhart[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sven Kehl[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Wolfgang Schuh[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Katharina Hermes[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Stefan Meltendorf[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Antje Neubert[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Michael Schneider[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Monika Brunner-Weinzierl[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Holm Schneider[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Holger Lingel[SUP] 5 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 36593041
- DOI: 10.21873/invivo.13055
Abstract
Background/aim: The manifestation and severity of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections show a clear correlation to the age of a patient. The younger a person, the less likely the infection results in significant illness. To explore the immunological characteristics behind this phenomenon, we studied the course of SARS-CoV-2 infections in 11 households, including 8 children and 6 infants/neonates of women who got infected with SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy.
Materials and methods: We investigated the immune responses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells (UCBCs), and T cells against spike and nucleocapsid antigens of SARS-COV-2 by flow cytometry and cytokine secretion assays.
Results: Upon peptide stimulation, UCBC from neonates showed a strongly reduced IFN-γ production, as well as lower levels of IL-5, IL-13, and TNF-α alongside with decreased frequencies of surface CD137/PD-1 co-expressing CD4[SUP]+[/SUP] and CD+8 T cells compared with adult PBMCs. The PBMC response of older children instead was characterized by elevated frequencies of IFN-γ+ CD4[SUP]+[/SUP] T cells, but significantly lower levels of multiple cytokines (IL-5, IL-6, IL-9, IL-10, IL-17A, and TNF-α) and a marked shift of the CD4[SUP]+[/SUP]/CD8[SUP]+[/SUP] T-cell ratio towards CD8[SUP]+[/SUP] T cells in comparison to adults.
Conclusion: The increased severity of SARS-CoV-2 infections in adults could result from the strong cytokine production and lower potential to immunomodulate the excessive inflammation, while the limited IFN-γ production of responding T cells in infants/neonates and the additional higher frequencies of CD8[SUP]+[/SUP] T cells in older children may provide advantages during the course of a SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; children; immune response; inflammation; neonates; pediatric immunology; spike protein.