Nature Communications (Jul 2021)
SARS-CoV-2 specific T cell responses are lower in children and increase with age and time after infection
- Carolyn A. Cohen,
- Athena P. Y. Li,
- Asmaa Hachim,
- David S. C. Hui,
- Mike Y. W. Kwan,
- Owen T. Y. Tsang,
- Susan S. Chiu,
- Wai Hung Chan,
- Yat Sun Yau,
- Niloufar Kavian,
- Fionn N. L. Ma,
- Eric H. Y. Lau,
- Samuel M. S. Cheng,
- Leo L. M. Poon,
- Malik Peiris,
- Sophie A. Valkenburg
Affiliations
- Carolyn A. Cohen
- HKU-Pasteur Research Pole, School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong
- Athena P. Y. Li
- HKU-Pasteur Research Pole, School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong
- Asmaa Hachim
- HKU-Pasteur Research Pole, School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong
- David S. C. Hui
- Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Prince of Wales Hospital, Chinese University of Hong Kong
- Mike Y. W. Kwan
- Department of Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Hong Kong Hospital Authority Infectious Disease Center, Princess Margaret Hospital
- Owen T. Y. Tsang
- Infectious Diseases Centre, Princess Margaret Hospital, Hospital Authority of Hong Kong
- Susan S. Chiu
- Department of Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine, The University of Hong Kong and Queen Mary Hospital, Hospital Authority of Hong Kong
- Wai Hung Chan
- Department of Paediatrics, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hospital Authority of Hong Kong
- Yat Sun Yau
- Department of Paediatrics, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hospital Authority of Hong Kong
- Niloufar Kavian
- HKU-Pasteur Research Pole, School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong
- Fionn N. L. Ma
- HKU-Pasteur Research Pole, School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong
- Eric H. Y. Lau
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Control, School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong
- Samuel M. S. Cheng
- Division of Public Health Laboratory Sciences, School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong
- Leo L. M. Poon
- HKU-Pasteur Research Pole, School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong
- Malik Peiris
- HKU-Pasteur Research Pole, School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong
- Sophie A. Valkenburg
- HKU-Pasteur Research Pole, School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-24938-4
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 12,
no. 1
pp. 1 – 14
Abstract
Why children are generally less susceptible than adults to COVID-19 is unclear and has not extensively been examined longitudinally. Here the authors compare antibodies, cytokines and immune cell responses in adults and children over 6 months post-infection showing, among other things, a reduced CD4+ and CD8+ T cell response in children.
