T-Cell Assay after COVID-19 Vaccination Could Be a Useful Tool? A Pilot Study on Interferon-Gamma Release Assay in Healthcare Workers

<i>Background:</i> SARS-CoV-2 T-cells are crucial for long-term protection against reinfection. The aim was to demonstrate the Interferon-gamma Release Assay (IGRA) test could be useful for vaccination monitoring. <i>Methods:</i> In a prospective cohort of 98 vaccinated healt...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Silva Seraceni, Elena Zocca, Tamara Emanuela Cervone, Flaminia Tomassetti, Isabella Polidori, Massimiliano Valisi, Francesco Broccolo, Graziella Calugi, Sergio Bernardini, Massimo Pieri
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-07-01
Series:Diseases
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9721/10/3/49
Description
Summary:<i>Background:</i> SARS-CoV-2 T-cells are crucial for long-term protection against reinfection. The aim was to demonstrate the Interferon-gamma Release Assay (IGRA) test could be useful for vaccination monitoring. <i>Methods:</i> In a prospective cohort of 98 vaccinated healthcare workers for SARS-CoV-2, we selected 23 people in low-antibodies (Group 1, <i>N</i> = 8), high-antibodies (Group 2, <i>N</i> = 9), and negative control groups (Group 3, <i>N</i> = 6). SARS-CoV-2-specific humoral and cellular responses were analyzed at 8 months after two doses of Pfizer BioNTech, evaluating anti-RBD (Receptor Binding Domain) and RBD-ACE2 (Angiotensin Converting Enzyme-2) blocking antibodies in sera through a Chemiluminescence Immunoassay (CLIA) and T-cells through the IGRA test in heparinized plasma. Moreover, lymphocyte subtyping was executed by a flow cytometer. Statistical analysis was performed. <i>Results:</i> The data confirmed that RBD and RBD-ACE2 blocking ACE2 antibody levels of Group 1 were significantly lower than Group 2; <i>p</i> < 0.001. However, T-cells showed no significant difference between Group 1 and Group 2. <i>Conclusions:</i> This work suggests the need for new strategies for booster doses administration.
ISSN:2079-9721