Biomedicines (Jul 2021)

Immune Assessment of BNT162b2 m-RNA-Spike Based Vaccine Response in Adults

  • David San Segundo,
  • Alejandra Comins-Boo,
  • Juan Irure-Ventura,
  • Mónica Renuncio-García,
  • Adriel Roa-Bautista,
  • Elena González-López,
  • David Merino-Fernández,
  • Patricia Lamadrid-Perojo,
  • Marta Alonso-Peña,
  • Javier Gonzalo Ocejo-Vinyals,
  • Maria Gutiérrez-Larrañaga,
  • Sandra Guiral-Foz,
  • Marcos López-Hoyos

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines9080868
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9, no. 8
p. 868

Abstract

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Vaccine efficacy is based on clinical data. Currently, the assessment of immune response after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination is scarce. A total of 52 healthcare workers were immunized with the same lot of BNT162b2 vaccine. The immunological response against the vaccine was tested using a T-specific assay based on the expression of CD25 and CD134 after stimulation with anti-N, -S, and -M specific peptides of SARS-CoV-2. Moreover, IgG anti-S2 and -RBD antibodies were detected using ELISA. Furthermore, the cell subsets involved in the response to the vaccine were measured in peripheral blood by flow cytometry. Humoral-specific responses against the vaccine were detected in 94% and 100% after the first and second doses, respectively. Therefore, anti-S T-specific responses were observed in 57% and 90% of the subjects after the first and second doses of the vaccine, respectively. Thirty days after the second dose, significant increases in T helper 1 memory cells (p FH) cells (p p = 0.005) were observed. This study describes the specific humoral and cellular immune responses after vaccination with the new mRNA-based BNT162b2 vaccine. A mobilization of TFH into the circulation occurs, reflecting a specific activation of the immune system.

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