tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Nat Microbiol
. 2020 Nov 16.
doi: 10.1038/s41564-020-00824-5. Online ahead of print.
Spike-specific circulating T follicular helper cell and cross-neutralizing antibody responses in COVID-19-convalescent individuals
Jian Zhang[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Qian Wu[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ziyan Liu[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Qijie Wang[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Jiajing Wu[SUP] 3 4 [/SUP], Yabin Hu[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Tingting Bai[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Ting Xie[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Mincheng Huang[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Tiantian Wu[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Danhong Peng[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Weijin Huang[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Kun Jin[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ling Niu[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Wangyuan Guo[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Dixian Luo[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Dongzhu Lei[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Zhijian Wu[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Guicheng Li[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Renbin Huang[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Yingbiao Lin[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Xiangping Xie[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Shuangyan He[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Yunfan Deng[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Jianghua Liu[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Weilang Li[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Zhongyi Lu[SUP] 10 [/SUP], Haifu Chen[SUP] 11 [/SUP], Ting Zeng[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Qingting Luo[SUP] 12 [/SUP], Yi-Ping Li[SUP] 13 [/SUP], Youchun Wang[SUP] 14 [/SUP], Wenpei Liu[SUP] 15 16 17 [/SUP], Xiaowang Qu[SUP] 18 19 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)[SUP]1-3[/SUP] and individuals with COVID-19 have symptoms that can be asymptomatic, mild, moderate or severe[SUP]4,5[/SUP]. In the early phase of infection, T- and B-cell counts are substantially decreased[SUP]6,7[/SUP]; however, IgM[SUP]8-11[/SUP] and IgG[SUP]12-14[/SUP] are detectable within 14 d after symptom onset. In COVID-19-convalescent individuals, spike-specific neutralizing antibodies are variable[SUP]3,15,16[/SUP]. No specific drug or vaccine is available for COVID-19 at the time of writing; however, patients benefit from treatment with serum from COVID-19-convalescent individuals[SUP]17,18[/SUP]. Nevertheless, antibody responses and cross-reactivity with other coronaviruses in COVID-19-convalescent individuals are largely unknown. Here, we show that the majority of COVID-19-convalescent individuals maintained SARS-CoV-2 spike S1- and S2-specific antibodies with neutralizing activity against the SARS-CoV-2 pseudotyped virus, and that some of the antibodies cross-neutralized SARS-CoV, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus or both pseudotyped viruses. Convalescent individuals who experienced severe COVID-19 showed higher neutralizing antibody titres, a faster increase in lymphocyte counts and a higher frequency of CXCR3[SUP]+[/SUP] T follicular help (T[SUB]FH[/SUB]) cells compared with COVID-19-convalescent individuals who experienced non-severe disease. Circulating T[SUB]FH[/SUB] cells were spike specific and functional, and the frequencies of CXCR3[SUP]+[/SUP] T[SUB]FH[/SUB] cells were positively associated with neutralizing antibody titres in COVID-19-convalescent individuals. No individuals had detectable autoantibodies. These findings provide insights into neutralizing antibody responses in COVID-19-convalescent individuals and facilitate the treatment and vaccine development for SARS-CoV-2 infection.
. 2020 Nov 16.
doi: 10.1038/s41564-020-00824-5. Online ahead of print.
Spike-specific circulating T follicular helper cell and cross-neutralizing antibody responses in COVID-19-convalescent individuals
Jian Zhang[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Qian Wu[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ziyan Liu[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Qijie Wang[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Jiajing Wu[SUP] 3 4 [/SUP], Yabin Hu[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Tingting Bai[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Ting Xie[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Mincheng Huang[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Tiantian Wu[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Danhong Peng[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Weijin Huang[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Kun Jin[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ling Niu[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Wangyuan Guo[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Dixian Luo[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Dongzhu Lei[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Zhijian Wu[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Guicheng Li[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Renbin Huang[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Yingbiao Lin[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Xiangping Xie[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Shuangyan He[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Yunfan Deng[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Jianghua Liu[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Weilang Li[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Zhongyi Lu[SUP] 10 [/SUP], Haifu Chen[SUP] 11 [/SUP], Ting Zeng[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Qingting Luo[SUP] 12 [/SUP], Yi-Ping Li[SUP] 13 [/SUP], Youchun Wang[SUP] 14 [/SUP], Wenpei Liu[SUP] 15 16 17 [/SUP], Xiaowang Qu[SUP] 18 19 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 33199863
- DOI: 10.1038/s41564-020-00824-5
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)[SUP]1-3[/SUP] and individuals with COVID-19 have symptoms that can be asymptomatic, mild, moderate or severe[SUP]4,5[/SUP]. In the early phase of infection, T- and B-cell counts are substantially decreased[SUP]6,7[/SUP]; however, IgM[SUP]8-11[/SUP] and IgG[SUP]12-14[/SUP] are detectable within 14 d after symptom onset. In COVID-19-convalescent individuals, spike-specific neutralizing antibodies are variable[SUP]3,15,16[/SUP]. No specific drug or vaccine is available for COVID-19 at the time of writing; however, patients benefit from treatment with serum from COVID-19-convalescent individuals[SUP]17,18[/SUP]. Nevertheless, antibody responses and cross-reactivity with other coronaviruses in COVID-19-convalescent individuals are largely unknown. Here, we show that the majority of COVID-19-convalescent individuals maintained SARS-CoV-2 spike S1- and S2-specific antibodies with neutralizing activity against the SARS-CoV-2 pseudotyped virus, and that some of the antibodies cross-neutralized SARS-CoV, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus or both pseudotyped viruses. Convalescent individuals who experienced severe COVID-19 showed higher neutralizing antibody titres, a faster increase in lymphocyte counts and a higher frequency of CXCR3[SUP]+[/SUP] T follicular help (T[SUB]FH[/SUB]) cells compared with COVID-19-convalescent individuals who experienced non-severe disease. Circulating T[SUB]FH[/SUB] cells were spike specific and functional, and the frequencies of CXCR3[SUP]+[/SUP] T[SUB]FH[/SUB] cells were positively associated with neutralizing antibody titres in COVID-19-convalescent individuals. No individuals had detectable autoantibodies. These findings provide insights into neutralizing antibody responses in COVID-19-convalescent individuals and facilitate the treatment and vaccine development for SARS-CoV-2 infection.