1. PD-1-Expressing SARS-CoV-2-Specific CD8+ T Cells Are Not Exhausted, but Functional in Patients with COVID-19.
- Author
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Rha, Min-Seok, Jeong, Hye Won, Ko, Jae-Hoon, Choi, Seong Jin, Seo, In-Ho, Lee, Jeong Seok, Sa, Moa, Kim, A Reum, Joo, Eun-Jeong, Ahn, Jin Young, Kim, Jung Ho, Song, Kyoung-Ho, Kim, Eu Suk, Oh, Dong Hyun, Ahn, Mi Young, Choi, Hee Kyoung, Jeon, Ji Hoon, Choi, Jae-Phil, Kim, Hong Bin, and Kim, Young Keun
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T cells , *COVID-19 , *INFLUENZA A virus - Abstract
Memory T cell responses have been demonstrated in COVID-19 convalescents, but ex vivo phenotypes of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells have been unclear. We detected SARS-CoV-2-specific CD8+ T cells by MHC class I multimer staining and examined their phenotypes and functions in acute and convalescent COVID-19. Multimer+ cells exhibited early differentiated effector-memory phenotypes in the early convalescent phase. The frequency of stem-like memory cells was increased among multimer+ cells in the late convalescent phase. Cytokine secretion assays combined with MHC class I multimer staining revealed that the proportion of interferon-γ (IFN-γ)-producing cells was significantly lower among SARS-CoV-2-specific CD8+ T cells than those specific to influenza A virus. Importantly, the proportion of IFN-γ-producing cells was higher in PD-1+ cells than PD-1− cells among multimer+ cells, indicating that PD-1-expressing, SARS-CoV-2-specific CD8+ T cells are not exhausted, but functional. Our current findings provide information for understanding of SARS-CoV-2-specific CD8+ T cells elicited by infection or vaccination. • SARS-CoV-2-specific CD8+ T cells are effector memory cells in convalescents • CCR7+CD45RA+ cells are increased among SARS-CoV-2-specific cells in the late phase • SARS-CoV-2-specific CD8+ T cells have fewer IFN-γ+ cells than flu-specific cells • PD-1-expressing SARS-CoV-2-specific CD8+ T cells are not exhausted but functional T cell responses have been demonstrated in COVID-19 patients, but ex vivo phenotypes and functions of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells remain unclear. Rha et al. examined SARS-CoV-2-specific CD8+ T cells in acute and convalescent COVID-19 patients using MHC class I multimers, finding that PD-1-expressing SARS-CoV-2-specific CD8+ T cells are not exhausted but functional. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
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