Nature Communications (Jun 2023)
Immunological imprinting of humoral immunity to SARS-CoV-2 in children
- Alexander C. Dowell,
- Tara Lancaster,
- Rachel Bruton,
- Georgina Ireland,
- Christopher Bentley,
- Panagiota Sylla,
- Jianmin Zuo,
- Sam Scott,
- Azar Jadir,
- Jusnara Begum,
- Thomas Roberts,
- Christine Stephens,
- Shabana Ditta,
- Rebecca Shepherdson,
- Annabel A. Powell,
- Andrew J. Brent,
- Bernadette Brent,
- Frances Baawuah,
- Ifeanyichukwu Okike,
- Joanne Beckmann,
- Shazaad Ahmad,
- Felicity Aiano,
- Joanna Garstang,
- Mary E. Ramsay,
- Rafaq Azad,
- Dagmar Waiblinger,
- Brian Willett,
- John Wright,
- Shamez N. Ladhani,
- Paul Moss
Affiliations
- Alexander C. Dowell
- Institute of Immunology & Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham
- Tara Lancaster
- Institute of Immunology & Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham
- Rachel Bruton
- Institute of Immunology & Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham
- Georgina Ireland
- Immunisation Department, UK Health Security Agency
- Christopher Bentley
- Institute of Immunology & Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham
- Panagiota Sylla
- Institute of Immunology & Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham
- Jianmin Zuo
- Institute of Immunology & Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham
- Sam Scott
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research
- Azar Jadir
- Institute of Immunology & Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham
- Jusnara Begum
- Institute of Immunology & Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham
- Thomas Roberts
- Institute of Immunology & Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham
- Christine Stephens
- Institute of Immunology & Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham
- Shabana Ditta
- Bradford Institute for Health Research, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Rebecca Shepherdson
- Bradford Institute for Health Research, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Annabel A. Powell
- Immunisation Department, UK Health Security Agency
- Andrew J. Brent
- Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Bernadette Brent
- Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Frances Baawuah
- Immunisation Department, UK Health Security Agency
- Ifeanyichukwu Okike
- Immunisation Department, UK Health Security Agency
- Joanne Beckmann
- East London NHS Foundation Trust
- Shazaad Ahmad
- Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
- Felicity Aiano
- Immunisation Department, UK Health Security Agency
- Joanna Garstang
- Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Trust
- Mary E. Ramsay
- Immunisation Department, UK Health Security Agency
- Rafaq Azad
- Bradford Institute for Health Research, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Dagmar Waiblinger
- Bradford Institute for Health Research, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Brian Willett
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research
- John Wright
- Bradford Institute for Health Research, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Shamez N. Ladhani
- Immunisation Department, UK Health Security Agency
- Paul Moss
- Institute of Immunology & Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-39575-2
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 14,
no. 1
pp. 1 – 9
Abstract
Abstract Omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2 are globally dominant and infection rates are very high in children. We measure immune responses following Omicron BA.1/2 infection in children aged 6-14 years and relate this to prior and subsequent SARS-CoV-2 infection or vaccination. Primary Omicron infection elicits a weak antibody response with poor functional neutralizing antibodies. Subsequent Omicron reinfection or COVID-19 vaccination elicits increased antibody titres with broad neutralisation of Omicron subvariants. Prior pre-Omicron SARS-CoV-2 virus infection or vaccination primes for robust antibody responses following Omicron infection but these remain primarily focussed against ancestral variants. Primary Omicron infection thus elicits a weak antibody response in children which is boosted after reinfection or vaccination. Cellular responses are robust and broadly equivalent in all groups, providing protection against severe disease irrespective of SARS-CoV-2 variant. Immunological imprinting is likely to act as an important determinant of long-term humoral immunity, the future clinical importance of which is unknown.
