iScience (Jan 2024)
Distinct T cell polyfunctional profile in SARS-CoV-2 seronegative children associated with endemic human coronavirus cross-reactivity
- Ntombi Benede,
- Marius B. Tincho,
- Avril Walters,
- Vennesa Subbiah,
- Amkele Ngomti,
- Richard Baguma,
- Claire Butters,
- Lina Hahnle,
- Mathilda Mennen,
- Sango Skelem,
- Marguerite Adriaanse,
- Heidi Facey-Thomas,
- Christiaan Scott,
- Jonathan Day,
- Timothy F. Spracklen,
- Strauss van Graan,
- Sashkia R. Balla,
- Thandeka Moyo-Gwete,
- Penny L. Moore,
- Rae MacGinty,
- Maresa Botha,
- Lesley Workman,
- Marina Johnson,
- David Goldblatt,
- Heather J. Zar,
- Ntobeko A.B. Ntusi,
- Liesl Zühlke,
- Kate Webb,
- Catherine Riou,
- Wendy A. Burgers,
- Roanne S. Keeton
Affiliations
- Ntombi Benede
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa; Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa
- Marius B. Tincho
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa; Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa
- Avril Walters
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa; Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa
- Vennesa Subbiah
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa; Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa
- Amkele Ngomti
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa; Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa
- Richard Baguma
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa; Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa
- Claire Butters
- Division of Paediatric Rheumatology, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa
- Lina Hahnle
- Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town and Groote Schuur Hospital, Observatory, South Africa
- Mathilda Mennen
- Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town and Groote Schuur Hospital, Observatory, South Africa
- Sango Skelem
- Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town and Groote Schuur Hospital, Observatory, South Africa
- Marguerite Adriaanse
- Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town and Groote Schuur Hospital, Observatory, South Africa
- Heidi Facey-Thomas
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Christiaan Scott
- Division of Paediatric Rheumatology, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa
- Jonathan Day
- Division of Paediatric Rheumatology, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa
- Timothy F. Spracklen
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Cape Heart Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa; South African Medical Research Council, Francie Van Zijl Drive, Parow Cape Town, South Africa
- Strauss van Graan
- National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Services, Johannesburg, South Africa; SA MRC Antibody Immunity Research Unit, School of Pathology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Sashkia R. Balla
- National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Services, Johannesburg, South Africa; SA MRC Antibody Immunity Research Unit, School of Pathology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Thandeka Moyo-Gwete
- National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Services, Johannesburg, South Africa; SA MRC Antibody Immunity Research Unit, School of Pathology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Penny L. Moore
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa; National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Services, Johannesburg, South Africa; SA MRC Antibody Immunity Research Unit, School of Pathology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa, Durban, South Africa
- Rae MacGinty
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Medical Research Council (MRC) Unit on Child and Adolescent Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Maresa Botha
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Medical Research Council (MRC) Unit on Child and Adolescent Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Lesley Workman
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Medical Research Council (MRC) Unit on Child and Adolescent Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Marina Johnson
- Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health Biomedical Research Centre, University College London, London, UK
- David Goldblatt
- Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health Biomedical Research Centre, University College London, London, UK
- Heather J. Zar
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa; Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Medical Research Council (MRC) Unit on Child and Adolescent Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Africa, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa
- Ntobeko A.B. Ntusi
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa; Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town and Groote Schuur Hospital, Observatory, South Africa; Cape Heart Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa; Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Africa, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa
- Liesl Zühlke
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa; Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Cape Heart Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa; South African Medical Research Council, Francie Van Zijl Drive, Parow Cape Town, South Africa
- Kate Webb
- Division of Paediatric Rheumatology, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa; Crick African Network, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
- Catherine Riou
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa; Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa; Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Africa, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa
- Wendy A. Burgers
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa; Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa; Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Africa, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa
- Roanne S. Keeton
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa; Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa; Corresponding author
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 27,
no. 1
p. 108728
Abstract
Summary: SARS-CoV-2 infection in children typically results in asymptomatic or mild disease. There is a paucity of studies on SARS-CoV-2 antiviral immunity in African children. We investigated SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell responses in 71 unvaccinated asymptomatic South African children who were seropositive or seronegative for SARS-CoV-2. SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4+ T cell responses were detectable in 83% of seropositive and 60% of seronegative children. Although the magnitude of the CD4+ T cell response did not differ significantly between the two groups, their functional profiles were distinct, with SARS-CoV-2 seropositive children exhibiting a higher proportion of polyfunctional T cells compared to their seronegative counterparts. The frequency of SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4+ T cells in seronegative children was associated with the endemic human coronavirus (HCoV) HKU1 IgG response. Overall, the presence of SARS-CoV-2-responding T cells in seronegative children may result from cross-reactivity to endemic coronaviruses and could contribute to the relative protection from disease observed in SARS-CoV-2-infected children.
