T Cell Responses Correlate with Self-Reported Disease Severity and Neutralizing Antibody Responses Predict Protection against SARS-CoV-2 Breakthrough Infection. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • OBJECTIVES: The objective of this prospective study was to investigate the role of adaptive immunity in response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. DESIGN AND METHODS: A cohort of 677 vaccinated individuals participated in a comprehensive survey of their vaccination status and associated side effects, and donated blood to evaluate their adaptive immune responses by neutralizing antibody (NAb) and T cell responses. The cohort then completed a follow-up survey to investigate the occurrence of breakthrough infections. RESULTS: NAb levels were the highest in participants vaccinated with Moderna, followed by Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson. NAb levels decreased with time after vaccination with Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson. T cell responses showed no significant difference among the different vaccines and remained stable up to 10 months after the study period for all vaccine types. In multivariate analyses, NAb responses (<95 U/mL) predicted breakthrough infection, whereas previous infection, the type of vaccine, and T cell responses did not. T cell responses to viral epitopes (<0.120 IU/mL) showed a significant association with the self-reported severity of COVID-19 disease. CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence that NAb responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination correlate with protection against infection, whereas the T cell memory responses may contribute to protection against severe disease but not against infection.

authors

  • Zhao, Zhen
  • Kumanovics, Attila
  • Love, Tanzy
  • Melanson, Stacy E F
  • Meng, Qing H
  • Wu, Alan H B
  • Wiencek, Joesph
  • Apple, Fred S
  • Ondracek, Caitlin R
  • Koch, David D
  • Christenson, Robert H
  • Zhang, Yan Victoria

publication date

  • March 9, 2023

Research

keywords

  • COVID-19
  • COVID-19 Vaccines

Identity

PubMed Central ID

  • PMC10058409

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 85151215909

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1126/sciimmunol.abq7647

PubMed ID

  • 36992418

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 15

issue

  • 3