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Highly functional virus-specific cellular immune response in asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection

Le Bert, NinaClapham, Hannah ETan, Anthony TChia, Wan Ni
Tham, Christine YL
Lim, Jane M
Kunasegaran, Kamini
Tan, Linda Wei Lin
Dutertre, Charles-Antoine
Shankar, Nivedita
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Abstract
The efficacy of virus-specific T cells in clearing pathogens involves a fine balance between antiviral and inflammatory features. SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells in individuals who clear SARS-CoV-2 without symptoms could reveal nonpathological yet protective characteristics. We longitudinally studied SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells in a cohort of asymptomatic (n = 85) and symptomatic (n = 75) COVID-19 patients after seroconversion. We quantified T cells reactive to structural proteins (M, NP, and Spike) using ELISpot and cytokine secretion in whole blood. Frequencies of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells were similar between asymptomatic and symptomatic individuals, but the former showed an increased IFN-γ and IL-2 production. This was associated with a proportional secretion of IL-10 and proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β) only in asymptomatic infection, while a disproportionate secretion of inflammatory cytokines was triggered by SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell activation in symptomatic individuals. Thus, asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals are not characterized by weak antiviral immunity; on the contrary, they mount a highly functional virus-specific cellular immune response.
Keywords
Science & Technology, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, Immunology, Medicine, Research & Experimental, Research & Experimental Medicine, CD4(+) T-CELLS
Source Title
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE
Publisher
ROCKEFELLER UNIV PRESS
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MEDICINE
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Date
2021-05-03
DOI
10.1084/jem.20202617
Type
Article
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