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Whole blood-based measurement of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells reveals asymptomatic infection and vaccine immunogenicity in healthy subjects and patients with solid-organ cancers.
- Source :
-
Immunology [Immunology] 2022 Feb; Vol. 165 (2), pp. 250-259. Date of Electronic Publication: 2021 Dec 06. - Publication Year :
- 2022
-
Abstract
- Accurate assessment of SARS-CoV-2 immunity is critical in evaluating vaccine efficacy and devising public health policies. Whilst the exact nature of effective immunity remains incompletely defined, SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell responses are a critical feature that will likely form a key correlate of protection against COVID-19. Here, we developed and optimized a high-throughput whole blood-based assay to determine the T-cell response associated with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection and/or vaccination amongst 231 healthy donors and 68 cancer patients. Following overnight in vitro stimulation with SARS-CoV-2-specific peptides, blood plasma samples were analysed for T <subscript>H</subscript> 1-type cytokines. Highly significant differential IFN-γ <superscript>+</superscript> /IL-2 <superscript>+</superscript> SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell responses were seen amongst previously infected COVID-19-positive healthy donors in comparison with unknown / naïve individuals (p < 0·0001). IFN-γ production was more effective at identifying asymptomatic donors, demonstrating higher sensitivity (96·0% vs. 83·3%) but lower specificity (84·4% vs. 92·5%) than measurement of IL-2. A single COVID-19 vaccine dose induced IFN-γ and/or IL-2 SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell responses in 116 of 128 (90·6%) healthy donors, reducing significantly to 27 of 56 (48·2%) when measured in cancer patients (p < 0·0001). A second dose was sufficient to boost T-cell responses in the majority (90·6%) of cancer patients, albeit IFN-γ <superscript>+</superscript> responses were still significantly lower overall than those induced in healthy donors (p = 0·034). Three-month post-vaccination T-cell responses also declined at a faster rate in cancer patients. Overall, this cost-effective standardizable test ensures accurate and comparable assessments of SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell responses amenable to widespread population immunity testing, and identifies individuals at greater need of booster vaccinations.<br /> (© 2021 The Authors. Immunology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)
- Subjects :
- Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
COVID-19 prevention & control
Female
Humans
Interferon-gamma immunology
Male
Middle Aged
COVID-19 immunology
COVID-19 Vaccines immunology
Carrier State immunology
Immunity, Cellular
Immunogenicity, Vaccine
SARS-CoV-2 immunology
Th1 Cells immunology
Vaccination
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1365-2567
- Volume :
- 165
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Immunology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 34775604
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1111/imm.13433