Persistent cellular immunity to SARS-CoV-2 infection

J Exp Med. 2021 Apr 5;218(4):e20202515. doi: 10.1084/jem.20202515.

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 is responsible for an ongoing pandemic that has affected millions of individuals around the globe. To gain further understanding of the immune response in recovered individuals, we measured T cell responses in paired samples obtained an average of 1.3 and 6.1 mo after infection from 41 individuals. The data indicate that recovered individuals show persistent polyfunctional SARS-CoV-2 antigen-specific memory that could contribute to rapid recall responses. Recovered individuals also show enduring alterations in relative overall numbers of CD4+ and CD8+ memory T cells, including expression of activation/exhaustion markers, and cell division.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Antigens, Viral / immunology
  • Biomarkers
  • COVID-19 / immunology*
  • COVID-19 / virology*
  • Female
  • Host-Pathogen Interactions / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Immunity, Cellular*
  • Immunophenotyping
  • Lymphocyte Count
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • SARS-CoV-2 / immunology*
  • T-Cell Antigen Receptor Specificity
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / metabolism
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Antigens, Viral
  • Biomarkers