tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
J Med Virol
. 2020 Jun 24.
doi: 10.1002/jmv.26213. Online ahead of print.
SARS-CoV-2-reactive interferon-γ-producing CD8 [SUP]+[/SUP] T Cells in Patients Hospitalized With Coronavirus Disease 2019
Estela Gim?nez[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Eliseo Albert[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ignacio Torres[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Mar?a Jos? Remigia[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Mar?a Jes?s Alcaraz[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Mar?a Jos? Galindo[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Mar?a Luisa Blasco[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Carlos Solano[SUP] 2 5 [/SUP], Mar?a Jos? Forner[SUP] 3 5 [/SUP], Josep Red?n[SUP] 3 5 [/SUP], Jaime Signes-Costa[SUP] 6 [/SUP], David Navarro[SUP] 1 7 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
There is limited information on SARS-CoV-2 T-cell immune responses in patients with COVID-19. Both CD4[SUP]+[/SUP] and CD8[SUP]+[/SUP] T cells may be instrumental in resolution of and protection from SARS-CoV-2 infection. Here, we tested 25 hospitalized patients either with microbiologically documented COVID-19 (n=19) or highly suspected of having the disease (n=6) for presence of SARS-CoV-2-reactive CD69[SUP]+[/SUP] -expressing interferon-γ (IFN-γ) producing CD8[SUP]+[/SUP] T cells using flow-cytometry for intracellular cytokine staining assay. Two sets of overlapping peptides encompassing the SARS-CoV-2 Spike glycoprotein N-terminal 1-643 amino acid sequence and the entire sequence of SARS-CoV-2 M protein were used simultaneously as antigenic stimulus. Ten patients (40%) had detectable responses, displaying frequencies ranging from 0.15 to 2.7% (median of 0.57 cells/?L; range, 0.43-9.98 cells/?L). The detection rate of SARS-CoV-2-reactive IFN-γ CD8[SUP]+[/SUP] T cells in patients admitted to intensive care was comparable (P=0.28) to the rate in patients hospitalized in other medical wards. No correlation was found between SARS-CoV-2-reactive IFN-γ CD8[SUP]+[/SUP] T-cell counts and SARS-CoV-2 S-specific antibody levels. Likewise, no correlation was observed between either SARS-CoV-2-reactive IFN-γ CD8[SUP]+[/SUP] T cells or S-specific IgG-antibody titers and blood cell count or levels of inflammatory biomarkers. In summary, in this descriptive, preliminary study we showed that SARS-CoV-2-reactive IFN-γ CD8[SUP]+[/SUP] T cells can be detected in a non-negligible percentage of patients with moderate to severe forms of COVID-19. Further studies are warranted to determine whether quantitation of these T-cell subsets may provide prognostic information on the clinical course of COVID-19. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Keywords: CD8+ T cells; Covid-19; SARS-CoV-2; T-cell immunity.
. 2020 Jun 24.
doi: 10.1002/jmv.26213. Online ahead of print.
SARS-CoV-2-reactive interferon-γ-producing CD8 [SUP]+[/SUP] T Cells in Patients Hospitalized With Coronavirus Disease 2019
Estela Gim?nez[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Eliseo Albert[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ignacio Torres[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Mar?a Jos? Remigia[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Mar?a Jes?s Alcaraz[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Mar?a Jos? Galindo[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Mar?a Luisa Blasco[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Carlos Solano[SUP] 2 5 [/SUP], Mar?a Jos? Forner[SUP] 3 5 [/SUP], Josep Red?n[SUP] 3 5 [/SUP], Jaime Signes-Costa[SUP] 6 [/SUP], David Navarro[SUP] 1 7 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 32579268
- DOI: 10.1002/jmv.26213
Abstract
There is limited information on SARS-CoV-2 T-cell immune responses in patients with COVID-19. Both CD4[SUP]+[/SUP] and CD8[SUP]+[/SUP] T cells may be instrumental in resolution of and protection from SARS-CoV-2 infection. Here, we tested 25 hospitalized patients either with microbiologically documented COVID-19 (n=19) or highly suspected of having the disease (n=6) for presence of SARS-CoV-2-reactive CD69[SUP]+[/SUP] -expressing interferon-γ (IFN-γ) producing CD8[SUP]+[/SUP] T cells using flow-cytometry for intracellular cytokine staining assay. Two sets of overlapping peptides encompassing the SARS-CoV-2 Spike glycoprotein N-terminal 1-643 amino acid sequence and the entire sequence of SARS-CoV-2 M protein were used simultaneously as antigenic stimulus. Ten patients (40%) had detectable responses, displaying frequencies ranging from 0.15 to 2.7% (median of 0.57 cells/?L; range, 0.43-9.98 cells/?L). The detection rate of SARS-CoV-2-reactive IFN-γ CD8[SUP]+[/SUP] T cells in patients admitted to intensive care was comparable (P=0.28) to the rate in patients hospitalized in other medical wards. No correlation was found between SARS-CoV-2-reactive IFN-γ CD8[SUP]+[/SUP] T-cell counts and SARS-CoV-2 S-specific antibody levels. Likewise, no correlation was observed between either SARS-CoV-2-reactive IFN-γ CD8[SUP]+[/SUP] T cells or S-specific IgG-antibody titers and blood cell count or levels of inflammatory biomarkers. In summary, in this descriptive, preliminary study we showed that SARS-CoV-2-reactive IFN-γ CD8[SUP]+[/SUP] T cells can be detected in a non-negligible percentage of patients with moderate to severe forms of COVID-19. Further studies are warranted to determine whether quantitation of these T-cell subsets may provide prognostic information on the clinical course of COVID-19. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Keywords: CD8+ T cells; Covid-19; SARS-CoV-2; T-cell immunity.