Evidence of Long-Lasting Humoral and Cellular Immunity against SARS-CoV-2 Even in Elderly COVID-19 Convalescents Showing a Mild to Moderate Disease Progression
We here evaluate the humoral and cellular immune response against SARS-CoV-2 in 41 COVID-19 convalescents. As previous studies mostly included younger individuals, one advantage of our study is the comparatively high mean age of the convalescents included in the cohort considered (54 ± 8.4 years). W...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2021-08-01
|
| Series: | Life |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/11/8/805 |
| _version_ | 1797523236212178944 |
|---|---|
| author | Bastian Fischer Christopher Lindenkamp Christoph Lichtenberg Ingvild Birschmann Cornelius Knabbe Doris Hendig |
| author_facet | Bastian Fischer Christopher Lindenkamp Christoph Lichtenberg Ingvild Birschmann Cornelius Knabbe Doris Hendig |
| author_sort | Bastian Fischer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We here evaluate the humoral and cellular immune response against SARS-CoV-2 in 41 COVID-19 convalescents. As previous studies mostly included younger individuals, one advantage of our study is the comparatively high mean age of the convalescents included in the cohort considered (54 ± 8.4 years). While anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were still detectable in 95% of convalescents up to 8 months post infection, an antibody-decay over time was generally observed in most donors. Using a multiplex assay, our data additionally reveal that most convalescents exhibit a broad humoral immunity against different viral epitopes. We demonstrate by flow cytometry that convalescent donors show a significantly elevated number of natural killer cells when compared to healthy controls, while no differences were found concerning other leucocyte subpopulations. We detected a specific long-lasting cellular immune response in convalescents by stimulating immune cells with SARS-CoV-2-specific peptides, covering domains of the viral spike, membrane and nucleocapsid protein, and measuring interferon-γ (IFN-γ) release thereafter. We modified a commercially available ELISA assay for IFN-γ determination in whole-blood specimens of COVID-19 convalescents. One advantage of this assay is that it does not require special equipment and can, thus, be performed in any standard laboratory. In conclusion, our study adds knowledge regarding the persistence of immunity of convalescents suffering from mild to moderate COVID-19. Moreover, our study provides a set of simple methods to characterize and confirm experienced COVID-19. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T08:40:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f074a005bcad48d2b5f3c500f053cb40 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-1729 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T08:40:32Z |
| publishDate | 2021-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Life |
| spelling | doaj.art-f074a005bcad48d2b5f3c500f053cb402023-11-22T08:23:10ZengMDPI AGLife2075-17292021-08-0111880510.3390/life11080805Evidence of Long-Lasting Humoral and Cellular Immunity against SARS-CoV-2 Even in Elderly COVID-19 Convalescents Showing a Mild to Moderate Disease ProgressionBastian Fischer0Christopher Lindenkamp1Christoph Lichtenberg2Ingvild Birschmann3Cornelius Knabbe4Doris Hendig5Institut für Laboratoriums-und Transfusionsmedizin, Herz-und Diabeteszentrum Nordrhein-Westfalen, Universitätsklinik der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Georgstrasse 11, 32545 Bad Oeynhausen, GermanyInstitut für Laboratoriums-und Transfusionsmedizin, Herz-und Diabeteszentrum Nordrhein-Westfalen, Universitätsklinik der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Georgstrasse 11, 32545 Bad Oeynhausen, GermanyInstitut für Laboratoriums-und Transfusionsmedizin, Herz-und Diabeteszentrum Nordrhein-Westfalen, Universitätsklinik der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Georgstrasse 11, 32545 Bad Oeynhausen, GermanyInstitut für Laboratoriums-und Transfusionsmedizin, Herz-und Diabeteszentrum Nordrhein-Westfalen, Universitätsklinik der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Georgstrasse 11, 32545 Bad Oeynhausen, GermanyInstitut für Laboratoriums-und Transfusionsmedizin, Herz-und Diabeteszentrum Nordrhein-Westfalen, Universitätsklinik der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Georgstrasse 11, 32545 Bad Oeynhausen, GermanyInstitut für Laboratoriums-und Transfusionsmedizin, Herz-und Diabeteszentrum Nordrhein-Westfalen, Universitätsklinik der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Georgstrasse 11, 32545 Bad Oeynhausen, GermanyWe here evaluate the humoral and cellular immune response against SARS-CoV-2 in 41 COVID-19 convalescents. As previous studies mostly included younger individuals, one advantage of our study is the comparatively high mean age of the convalescents included in the cohort considered (54 ± 8.4 years). While anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were still detectable in 95% of convalescents up to 8 months post infection, an antibody-decay over time was generally observed in most donors. Using a multiplex assay, our data additionally reveal that most convalescents exhibit a broad humoral immunity against different viral epitopes. We demonstrate by flow cytometry that convalescent donors show a significantly elevated number of natural killer cells when compared to healthy controls, while no differences were found concerning other leucocyte subpopulations. We detected a specific long-lasting cellular immune response in convalescents by stimulating immune cells with SARS-CoV-2-specific peptides, covering domains of the viral spike, membrane and nucleocapsid protein, and measuring interferon-γ (IFN-γ) release thereafter. We modified a commercially available ELISA assay for IFN-γ determination in whole-blood specimens of COVID-19 convalescents. One advantage of this assay is that it does not require special equipment and can, thus, be performed in any standard laboratory. In conclusion, our study adds knowledge regarding the persistence of immunity of convalescents suffering from mild to moderate COVID-19. Moreover, our study provides a set of simple methods to characterize and confirm experienced COVID-19.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/11/8/805SARS-CoV-2COVID-19cellular and humoral immunityNK-cells |
| spellingShingle | Bastian Fischer Christopher Lindenkamp Christoph Lichtenberg Ingvild Birschmann Cornelius Knabbe Doris Hendig Evidence of Long-Lasting Humoral and Cellular Immunity against SARS-CoV-2 Even in Elderly COVID-19 Convalescents Showing a Mild to Moderate Disease Progression Life SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 cellular and humoral immunity NK-cells |
| title | Evidence of Long-Lasting Humoral and Cellular Immunity against SARS-CoV-2 Even in Elderly COVID-19 Convalescents Showing a Mild to Moderate Disease Progression |
| title_full | Evidence of Long-Lasting Humoral and Cellular Immunity against SARS-CoV-2 Even in Elderly COVID-19 Convalescents Showing a Mild to Moderate Disease Progression |
| title_fullStr | Evidence of Long-Lasting Humoral and Cellular Immunity against SARS-CoV-2 Even in Elderly COVID-19 Convalescents Showing a Mild to Moderate Disease Progression |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evidence of Long-Lasting Humoral and Cellular Immunity against SARS-CoV-2 Even in Elderly COVID-19 Convalescents Showing a Mild to Moderate Disease Progression |
| title_short | Evidence of Long-Lasting Humoral and Cellular Immunity against SARS-CoV-2 Even in Elderly COVID-19 Convalescents Showing a Mild to Moderate Disease Progression |
| title_sort | evidence of long lasting humoral and cellular immunity against sars cov 2 even in elderly covid 19 convalescents showing a mild to moderate disease progression |
| topic | SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 cellular and humoral immunity NK-cells |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/11/8/805 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT bastianfischer evidenceoflonglastinghumoralandcellularimmunityagainstsarscov2eveninelderlycovid19convalescentsshowingamildtomoderatediseaseprogression AT christopherlindenkamp evidenceoflonglastinghumoralandcellularimmunityagainstsarscov2eveninelderlycovid19convalescentsshowingamildtomoderatediseaseprogression AT christophlichtenberg evidenceoflonglastinghumoralandcellularimmunityagainstsarscov2eveninelderlycovid19convalescentsshowingamildtomoderatediseaseprogression AT ingvildbirschmann evidenceoflonglastinghumoralandcellularimmunityagainstsarscov2eveninelderlycovid19convalescentsshowingamildtomoderatediseaseprogression AT corneliusknabbe evidenceoflonglastinghumoralandcellularimmunityagainstsarscov2eveninelderlycovid19convalescentsshowingamildtomoderatediseaseprogression AT dorishendig evidenceoflonglastinghumoralandcellularimmunityagainstsarscov2eveninelderlycovid19convalescentsshowingamildtomoderatediseaseprogression |