tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Emerg Infect Dis
. 2020 Oct 15;27(1).
doi: 10.3201/2701.203772. Online ahead of print.
Cellular Immunity in COVID-19 Convalescents with PCR-Confirmed Infection but with Undetectable SARS-CoV-2-Specific IgG
Sina Schwarzkopf, Adalbert Krawczyk, Dietmar Knop, Hannes Klump, Andreas Heinold, Falko M Heinemann, Laura Th?mmler, Christian Temme, Marianne Breyer, Oliver Witzke, Ulf Dittmer, Veronika Lenz, Peter A Horn, Monika Lindemann
Abstract
We investigated immune responses against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) among a group of convalescent, potential blood donors in Germany who had PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Sixty days after onset of symptoms, 13/78 (17%) study participants had borderline or negative results to an ELISA detecting IgG against the S1 protein of SARS-CoV-2. We analyzed participants with PCR-confirmed infection who had strong antibody responses (ratio >3) as positive controls and participants without symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection and without household contact with infected patients as negative controls. Using interferon-γ ELISpot, we observed that 78% of PCR-positive volunteers with undetectable antibodies showed T cell immunity against SARS-CoV-2. We observed a similar frequency (80%) of T-cell immunity in convalescent donors with strong antibody responses but did not detect immunity in negative controls. We concluded that, in convalescent patients with undetectable SARS-CoV-2 IgG, immunity may be mediated through T cells.
Keywords: B cells; COVID-19; ELISpot; PCR-confirmed infection; SARS; SARS-CoV-2; T cells; cellular immunity; convalescent plasma; coronavirus disease; respiratory infections; seronegativity; severe acute respiratory syndrome; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; viruses; zoonoses.
. 2020 Oct 15;27(1).
doi: 10.3201/2701.203772. Online ahead of print.
Cellular Immunity in COVID-19 Convalescents with PCR-Confirmed Infection but with Undetectable SARS-CoV-2-Specific IgG
Sina Schwarzkopf, Adalbert Krawczyk, Dietmar Knop, Hannes Klump, Andreas Heinold, Falko M Heinemann, Laura Th?mmler, Christian Temme, Marianne Breyer, Oliver Witzke, Ulf Dittmer, Veronika Lenz, Peter A Horn, Monika Lindemann
- PMID: 33058753
- DOI: 10.3201/2701.203772
Abstract
We investigated immune responses against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) among a group of convalescent, potential blood donors in Germany who had PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Sixty days after onset of symptoms, 13/78 (17%) study participants had borderline or negative results to an ELISA detecting IgG against the S1 protein of SARS-CoV-2. We analyzed participants with PCR-confirmed infection who had strong antibody responses (ratio >3) as positive controls and participants without symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection and without household contact with infected patients as negative controls. Using interferon-γ ELISpot, we observed that 78% of PCR-positive volunteers with undetectable antibodies showed T cell immunity against SARS-CoV-2. We observed a similar frequency (80%) of T-cell immunity in convalescent donors with strong antibody responses but did not detect immunity in negative controls. We concluded that, in convalescent patients with undetectable SARS-CoV-2 IgG, immunity may be mediated through T cells.
Keywords: B cells; COVID-19; ELISpot; PCR-confirmed infection; SARS; SARS-CoV-2; T cells; cellular immunity; convalescent plasma; coronavirus disease; respiratory infections; seronegativity; severe acute respiratory syndrome; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; viruses; zoonoses.