Persistence of T-Cell Immunity Responses against SARS-CoV-2 for over 12 Months Post COVID-19 Infection in Unvaccinated Individuals with No Detectable IgG Antibodies
Background: Immune response to SARS-CoV-2 is crucial for preventing reinfection or reducing disease severity. T-cells’ long-term protection, elicited either by COVID-19 vaccines or natural infection, has been extensively studied thus far; however, it is still attracting considerable scientific inter...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Vaccines |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/11/12/1764 |
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| author | Vassiliki C. Pitiriga Myrto Papamentzelopoulou Kanella E. Konstantinakou Irene V. Vasileiou Konstantina S. Sakellariou Natalia I. Spyrou Athanasios Tsakris |
| author_facet | Vassiliki C. Pitiriga Myrto Papamentzelopoulou Kanella E. Konstantinakou Irene V. Vasileiou Konstantina S. Sakellariou Natalia I. Spyrou Athanasios Tsakris |
| author_sort | Vassiliki C. Pitiriga |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Immune response to SARS-CoV-2 is crucial for preventing reinfection or reducing disease severity. T-cells’ long-term protection, elicited either by COVID-19 vaccines or natural infection, has been extensively studied thus far; however, it is still attracting considerable scientific interest. The aim of the present epidemiological study was to define the levels of T-cellular immunity response in a specific group of unvaccinated individuals from the general population with a prior confirmed COVID-19 infection and no measurable levels of IgG antibodies. Methods: We performed a retrospective descriptive analysis of data collected from the medical records of consecutive unvaccinated individuals recovered from COVID-19, who had proceeded to a large private medical center in the Attica region from September 2021 to September 2022 in order to be examined on their own initiative for SARS-CoV-2 T-cell immunity response. The analysis of T-cell responses was divided into three time periods post infection: Group A: up to 6 months; Group B: 6–12 months; Group C: >12 months. The SARS-CoV-2 T-cell response was estimated against spike (S) and nucleocapsid (N) structural proteins by performing the T-SPOT. COVID test methodology. SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody levels were measured by the SARS-CoV-2 IgG II Quant assay (Abbott Diagnostics). Results: A total of 182 subjects were retrospectively included in the study, 85 females (46.7%) and 97 (53.3%) males, ranging from 19 to 91 years old (mean 50.84 ± 17.2 years). Among them, 59 (32.4%) had been infected within the previous 6 months from the examination date (Group A), 69 (37.9%) had been infected within a time period > 6 months and <1 year (Group B) and 54 (29.7%) had been infected within a time period longer than 1 year from the examination date (Group C). Among the three groups, a positive T-cell reaction against the S antigen was reported in 47/58 (81%) of Group A, 61/69 (88.4%) of Group B and 40/54 (74.1%) of Group C (chi square, <i>p</i> = 0.27). T-cell reaction against the N antigen was present in 45/58 (77.6%) of Group A, 61/69 (88.4%) of Group B and 36/54 (66.7%) of Group C (chi square, <i>p</i> = 0.02). The median Spot-Forming Cells (SFC) count for the S antigen was 18 (range from 0–160) in Group A, 19 (range from 0–130) in Group B and 17 (range from 0–160) in Group C (Kruskal–Wallis test, <i>p</i> = 0.11; pairwise comparisons: groups A–B, <i>p</i> = 0.95; groups A–C, <i>p</i> = 0.89; groups B–C, <i>p</i> = 0.11). The median SFCs count for the N antigen was 14.5 (ranging from 0 to 116) for Group A, 24 (ranging from 0–168) in Group B and 16 (ranging from 0–112) for Group C (Kruskal–Wallis test, <i>p</i> = 0.01; pairwise comparisons: groups A–B, <i>p</i> = 0.02; groups A–C, <i>p</i> = 0.97; groups B–C, <i>p</i> = 0.03). Conclusions: Our data suggest that protective adaptive T-cellular immunity following natural infection by SARS-CoV-2 may persist for over 12 months, despite the undetectable humoral element. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T20:18:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-683501ab5db843348e68b0681230cd5a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-393X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T20:18:06Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Vaccines |
| spelling | doaj.art-683501ab5db843348e68b0681230cd5a2023-12-22T14:46:59ZengMDPI AGVaccines2076-393X2023-11-011112176410.3390/vaccines11121764Persistence of T-Cell Immunity Responses against SARS-CoV-2 for over 12 Months Post COVID-19 Infection in Unvaccinated Individuals with No Detectable IgG AntibodiesVassiliki C. Pitiriga0Myrto Papamentzelopoulou1Kanella E. Konstantinakou2Irene V. Vasileiou3Konstantina S. Sakellariou4Natalia I. Spyrou5Athanasios Tsakris6Department of Microbiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75 Mikras Asias Street, 11527 Athens, GreeceMolecular Biology Unit, 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11528 Athens, GreeceBioiatriki Healthcare Group, Kifisias 132 and Papada Street, 11526 Athens, GreeceBioiatriki Healthcare Group, Kifisias 132 and Papada Street, 11526 Athens, GreeceBioiatriki Healthcare Group, Kifisias 132 and Papada Street, 11526 Athens, GreeceBioiatriki Healthcare Group, Kifisias 132 and Papada Street, 11526 Athens, GreeceDepartment of Microbiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75 Mikras Asias Street, 11527 Athens, GreeceBackground: Immune response to SARS-CoV-2 is crucial for preventing reinfection or reducing disease severity. T-cells’ long-term protection, elicited either by COVID-19 vaccines or natural infection, has been extensively studied thus far; however, it is still attracting considerable scientific interest. The aim of the present epidemiological study was to define the levels of T-cellular immunity response in a specific group of unvaccinated individuals from the general population with a prior confirmed COVID-19 infection and no measurable levels of IgG antibodies. Methods: We performed a retrospective descriptive analysis of data collected from the medical records of consecutive unvaccinated individuals recovered from COVID-19, who had proceeded to a large private medical center in the Attica region from September 2021 to September 2022 in order to be examined on their own initiative for SARS-CoV-2 T-cell immunity response. The analysis of T-cell responses was divided into three time periods post infection: Group A: up to 6 months; Group B: 6–12 months; Group C: >12 months. The SARS-CoV-2 T-cell response was estimated against spike (S) and nucleocapsid (N) structural proteins by performing the T-SPOT. COVID test methodology. SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody levels were measured by the SARS-CoV-2 IgG II Quant assay (Abbott Diagnostics). Results: A total of 182 subjects were retrospectively included in the study, 85 females (46.7%) and 97 (53.3%) males, ranging from 19 to 91 years old (mean 50.84 ± 17.2 years). Among them, 59 (32.4%) had been infected within the previous 6 months from the examination date (Group A), 69 (37.9%) had been infected within a time period > 6 months and <1 year (Group B) and 54 (29.7%) had been infected within a time period longer than 1 year from the examination date (Group C). Among the three groups, a positive T-cell reaction against the S antigen was reported in 47/58 (81%) of Group A, 61/69 (88.4%) of Group B and 40/54 (74.1%) of Group C (chi square, <i>p</i> = 0.27). T-cell reaction against the N antigen was present in 45/58 (77.6%) of Group A, 61/69 (88.4%) of Group B and 36/54 (66.7%) of Group C (chi square, <i>p</i> = 0.02). The median Spot-Forming Cells (SFC) count for the S antigen was 18 (range from 0–160) in Group A, 19 (range from 0–130) in Group B and 17 (range from 0–160) in Group C (Kruskal–Wallis test, <i>p</i> = 0.11; pairwise comparisons: groups A–B, <i>p</i> = 0.95; groups A–C, <i>p</i> = 0.89; groups B–C, <i>p</i> = 0.11). The median SFCs count for the N antigen was 14.5 (ranging from 0 to 116) for Group A, 24 (ranging from 0–168) in Group B and 16 (ranging from 0–112) for Group C (Kruskal–Wallis test, <i>p</i> = 0.01; pairwise comparisons: groups A–B, <i>p</i> = 0.02; groups A–C, <i>p</i> = 0.97; groups B–C, <i>p</i> = 0.03). Conclusions: Our data suggest that protective adaptive T-cellular immunity following natural infection by SARS-CoV-2 may persist for over 12 months, despite the undetectable humoral element.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/11/12/1764cellular immunityT-cell immunitySARS-CoV-2COVID-19coronavirusvaccination |
| spellingShingle | Vassiliki C. Pitiriga Myrto Papamentzelopoulou Kanella E. Konstantinakou Irene V. Vasileiou Konstantina S. Sakellariou Natalia I. Spyrou Athanasios Tsakris Persistence of T-Cell Immunity Responses against SARS-CoV-2 for over 12 Months Post COVID-19 Infection in Unvaccinated Individuals with No Detectable IgG Antibodies Vaccines cellular immunity T-cell immunity SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 coronavirus vaccination |
| title | Persistence of T-Cell Immunity Responses against SARS-CoV-2 for over 12 Months Post COVID-19 Infection in Unvaccinated Individuals with No Detectable IgG Antibodies |
| title_full | Persistence of T-Cell Immunity Responses against SARS-CoV-2 for over 12 Months Post COVID-19 Infection in Unvaccinated Individuals with No Detectable IgG Antibodies |
| title_fullStr | Persistence of T-Cell Immunity Responses against SARS-CoV-2 for over 12 Months Post COVID-19 Infection in Unvaccinated Individuals with No Detectable IgG Antibodies |
| title_full_unstemmed | Persistence of T-Cell Immunity Responses against SARS-CoV-2 for over 12 Months Post COVID-19 Infection in Unvaccinated Individuals with No Detectable IgG Antibodies |
| title_short | Persistence of T-Cell Immunity Responses against SARS-CoV-2 for over 12 Months Post COVID-19 Infection in Unvaccinated Individuals with No Detectable IgG Antibodies |
| title_sort | persistence of t cell immunity responses against sars cov 2 for over 12 months post covid 19 infection in unvaccinated individuals with no detectable igg antibodies |
| topic | cellular immunity T-cell immunity SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 coronavirus vaccination |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/11/12/1764 |
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