Multiparametric analysis of the specific immune response against SARS-CoV-2

• Published in: Infectious diseases (London, England) England), 2024-10, Vol.56 (10), p.851-869
• Main Authors: Vránová, Lucie, Poláková, Ingrid, Vaníková, Šárka, Saláková, Martina, Musil, Jan, Vaníčková, Marie, Vencálek, Ondřej, Holub, Michal, Bohoněk, Miloš, Řezáč, David, Dresler, Jiří, Tachezy, Ruth, Šmahel, Michal
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Antibodies, Viral - blood; Antibodies, Viral - immunology; B-Lymphocytes - immunology; COVID-19 - immunology; COVID-19 Vaccines - immunology; Enzyme-Linked Immunospot Assay; Female; Humans; Immunity, Cellular - immunology; Immunity, Humoral; Immunologic Memory; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - immunology; Male; Middle Aged; SARS-CoV-2 - immunology; Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus - immunology; T-Lymphocytes - immunology
• ISSN: 2374-4235; 2374-4243; 2374-4243
• DOI: 10.1080/23744235.2024.2358379

SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, has killed more than 7 million people worldwide. Understanding the development of postinfectious and postvaccination immune responses is necessary for effective treatment and the introduction of appropriate antipandemic measures. We analysed humoral and cell-mediated anti-SARS-CoV-2 immune responses to spike (S), nucleocapsid (N), membrane (M), and open reading frame (O) proteins in individuals collected up to 1.5 years after COVID-19 onset and evaluated immune memory. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells and serum were collected from patients after COVID-19. Sampling was performed in two rounds: 3-6 months after infection and after another year. Most of the patients were vaccinated between samplings. SARS-CoV-2-seronegative donors served as controls. ELISpot assays were used to detect SARS-CoV-2-specific T and B cells using peptide pools (S, NMO) or recombinant proteins (rS, rN), respectively. A CEF peptide pool consisting of selected viral epitopes was applied to assess the antiviral T-cell response. SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies were detected ELISA and a surrogate virus neutralisation assay. We confirmed that SARS-CoV-2 infection induces the establishment of long-term memory IgG B cells and memory T cells. We also found that vaccination enhanced the levels of anti-S memory B and T cells. Multivariate comparison also revealed the benefit of repeated vaccination. Interestingly, the T-cell response to CEF was lower in patients than in controls. This study supports the importance of repeated vaccination for enhancing immunity and suggests a possible long-term perturbation of the overall antiviral immune response caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection.