EMBO Molecular Medicine (Mar 2022)
Decreased memory B cell frequencies in COVID‐19 delta variant vaccine breakthrough infection
- Matthew Zirui Tay,
- Angeline Rouers,
- Siew‐Wai Fong,
- Yun Shan Goh,
- Yi‐Hao Chan,
- Zi Wei Chang,
- Weili Xu,
- Chee Wah Tan,
- Wan Ni Chia,
- Anthony Torres‐Ruesta,
- Siti Naqiah Amrun,
- Yuling Huang,
- Pei Xiang Hor,
- Chiew Yee Loh,
- Nicholas Kim‐Wah Yeo,
- Bei Wang,
- Eve Zi Xian Ngoh,
- Siti Nazihah Mohd Salleh,
- Jean‐Marc Chavatte,
- Alicia Jieling Lim,
- Sebastian Maurer‐Stroh,
- Lin‐Fa Wang,
- Raymond Valentine Tzer Pin Lin,
- Cheng‐I Wang,
- Seow‐Yen Tan,
- Barnaby Edward Young,
- Yee‐Sin Leo,
- David C Lye,
- Laurent Renia,
- Lisa FP Ng
Affiliations
- Matthew Zirui Tay
- A*STAR Infectious Diseases Labs Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Singapore City Singapore
- Angeline Rouers
- A*STAR Infectious Diseases Labs Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Singapore City Singapore
- Siew‐Wai Fong
- A*STAR Infectious Diseases Labs Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Singapore City Singapore
- Yun Shan Goh
- A*STAR Infectious Diseases Labs Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Singapore City Singapore
- Yi‐Hao Chan
- A*STAR Infectious Diseases Labs Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Singapore City Singapore
- Zi Wei Chang
- A*STAR Infectious Diseases Labs Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Singapore City Singapore
- Weili Xu
- Singapore Immunology Network A*STAR Singapore City Singapore
- Chee Wah Tan
- Programme in Emerging Infectious Diseases Duke‐NUS Medical School Singapore City Singapore
- Wan Ni Chia
- Programme in Emerging Infectious Diseases Duke‐NUS Medical School Singapore City Singapore
- Anthony Torres‐Ruesta
- A*STAR Infectious Diseases Labs Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Singapore City Singapore
- Siti Naqiah Amrun
- A*STAR Infectious Diseases Labs Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Singapore City Singapore
- Yuling Huang
- A*STAR Infectious Diseases Labs Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Singapore City Singapore
- Pei Xiang Hor
- A*STAR Infectious Diseases Labs Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Singapore City Singapore
- Chiew Yee Loh
- A*STAR Infectious Diseases Labs Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Singapore City Singapore
- Nicholas Kim‐Wah Yeo
- A*STAR Infectious Diseases Labs Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Singapore City Singapore
- Bei Wang
- Singapore Immunology Network A*STAR Singapore City Singapore
- Eve Zi Xian Ngoh
- Singapore Immunology Network A*STAR Singapore City Singapore
- Siti Nazihah Mohd Salleh
- Singapore Immunology Network A*STAR Singapore City Singapore
- Jean‐Marc Chavatte
- National Centre for Infectious Diseases Singapore City Singapore
- Alicia Jieling Lim
- National Centre for Infectious Diseases Singapore City Singapore
- Sebastian Maurer‐Stroh
- Bioinformatics Institute A*STAR Singapore City Singapore
- Lin‐Fa Wang
- Programme in Emerging Infectious Diseases Duke‐NUS Medical School Singapore City Singapore
- Raymond Valentine Tzer Pin Lin
- National Centre for Infectious Diseases Singapore City Singapore
- Cheng‐I Wang
- Singapore Immunology Network A*STAR Singapore City Singapore
- Seow‐Yen Tan
- Department of Infectious Diseases Changi General Hospital Singapore City Singapore
- Barnaby Edward Young
- National Centre for Infectious Diseases Singapore City Singapore
- Yee‐Sin Leo
- National Centre for Infectious Diseases Singapore City Singapore
- David C Lye
- National Centre for Infectious Diseases Singapore City Singapore
- Laurent Renia
- A*STAR Infectious Diseases Labs Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Singapore City Singapore
- Lisa FP Ng
- A*STAR Infectious Diseases Labs Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Singapore City Singapore
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.15252/emmm.202115227
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 14,
no. 3
pp. n/a – n/a
Abstract
Abstract The SARS‐CoV‐2 Delta (B.1.617.2) variant is capable of infecting vaccinated persons. An open question remains as to whether deficiencies in specific vaccine‐elicited immune responses result in susceptibility to vaccine breakthrough infection. We investigated 55 vaccine breakthrough infection cases (mostly Delta) in Singapore, comparing them against 86 vaccinated close contacts who did not contract infection. Vaccine breakthrough cases showed lower memory B cell frequencies against SARS‐CoV‐2 receptor‐binding domain (RBD). Compared to plasma antibodies, antibodies secreted by memory B cells retained a higher fraction of neutralizing properties against the Delta variant. Inflammatory cytokines including IL‐1β and TNF were lower in vaccine breakthrough infections than primary infection of similar disease severity, underscoring the usefulness of vaccination in preventing inflammation. This report highlights the importance of memory B cells against vaccine breakthrough and suggests that lower memory B cell levels may be a correlate of risk for Delta vaccine breakthrough infection.
Keywords