tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Open Forum Infect Dis
. 2023 Jul 13;10(7)
fad363.
doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofad363. eCollection 2023 Jul. Immune Response Kinetics Following a Third Heterologous BNT162b2 Booster Dose After Primary 2-Dose ChAdOx1 Vaccination in Relation to Omicron Breakthrough Infection: A Prospective Nationwide Cohort Study in South Korea
Jin Young Ahn[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jae-Hoon Ko[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Kyong Ran Peck[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Seongman Bae[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Sung-Han Kim[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Kyoung Hwa Lee[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Young Goo Song[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Yong Chan Kim[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Yoon Soo Park[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Kyoung-Ho Song[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Eu Suk Kim[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Hye Won Jeong[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Shin-Woo Kim[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Ki Tae Kwon[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Won Suk Choi[SUP] 10 [/SUP], Jun Yong Choi[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Background: Immune responses to each vaccine must be investigated to establish effective vaccination strategies for the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. We investigated the long-term kinetics of immune responses after heterologous booster vaccination in relation to Omicron breakthrough infection (BI).
Methods: Our study included 373 healthcare workers who received primary ChAdOx1 vaccine doses and a third BNT162b2 vaccine dose. BIs that occurred after the third vaccine were investigated. Blood specimens were collected before and 3 months after the booster dose from participants without BI and 1, 4, and 6 months after BI from participants who experienced BI. Spike-specific binding and neutralizing antibody levels against the wild-type virus, Omicron BA.1, and Omicron BA.5, as well as cellular responses, were analyzed.
Results: A total of 346 participants (82 in the no BI group; 192 in the BI group during the BA.1/BA.2 period; 72 in the BI group during the BA.5 period) were included in the analysis. Participants without BI exhibited the highest binding and neutralizing antibody concentrations and greatest cellular response 1 month after the third vaccination, which reached a nadir by the ninth month. Antibody and cellular responses in participants who experienced BI substantially increased postinfection. Neutralizing antibody titers in individuals who experienced BI during the BA.1/BA.2 period showed more robust increase against wild-type virus than against BA.1 and BA.5.
Conclusions: Our findings provide evidence of antigenic imprinting in participants who received a heterologous booster vaccination, thereby serving as a foundation for further studies on the impact of BIs on immune responses.
Keywords: COVID-19; Omicron breakthrough infection; antigen imprinting; coronavirus disease; heterologous booster vaccination.
. 2023 Jul 13;10(7)
fad363.doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofad363. eCollection 2023 Jul. Immune Response Kinetics Following a Third Heterologous BNT162b2 Booster Dose After Primary 2-Dose ChAdOx1 Vaccination in Relation to Omicron Breakthrough Infection: A Prospective Nationwide Cohort Study in South Korea
Jin Young Ahn[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jae-Hoon Ko[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Kyong Ran Peck[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Seongman Bae[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Sung-Han Kim[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Kyoung Hwa Lee[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Young Goo Song[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Yong Chan Kim[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Yoon Soo Park[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Kyoung-Ho Song[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Eu Suk Kim[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Hye Won Jeong[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Shin-Woo Kim[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Ki Tae Kwon[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Won Suk Choi[SUP] 10 [/SUP], Jun Yong Choi[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 37520424
- PMCID: PMC10372859
- DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofad363
Background: Immune responses to each vaccine must be investigated to establish effective vaccination strategies for the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. We investigated the long-term kinetics of immune responses after heterologous booster vaccination in relation to Omicron breakthrough infection (BI).
Methods: Our study included 373 healthcare workers who received primary ChAdOx1 vaccine doses and a third BNT162b2 vaccine dose. BIs that occurred after the third vaccine were investigated. Blood specimens were collected before and 3 months after the booster dose from participants without BI and 1, 4, and 6 months after BI from participants who experienced BI. Spike-specific binding and neutralizing antibody levels against the wild-type virus, Omicron BA.1, and Omicron BA.5, as well as cellular responses, were analyzed.
Results: A total of 346 participants (82 in the no BI group; 192 in the BI group during the BA.1/BA.2 period; 72 in the BI group during the BA.5 period) were included in the analysis. Participants without BI exhibited the highest binding and neutralizing antibody concentrations and greatest cellular response 1 month after the third vaccination, which reached a nadir by the ninth month. Antibody and cellular responses in participants who experienced BI substantially increased postinfection. Neutralizing antibody titers in individuals who experienced BI during the BA.1/BA.2 period showed more robust increase against wild-type virus than against BA.1 and BA.5.
Conclusions: Our findings provide evidence of antigenic imprinting in participants who received a heterologous booster vaccination, thereby serving as a foundation for further studies on the impact of BIs on immune responses.
Keywords: COVID-19; Omicron breakthrough infection; antigen imprinting; coronavirus disease; heterologous booster vaccination.