Cell Reports (Aug 2021)

Long-term SARS-CoV-2-specific immune and inflammatory responses in individuals recovering from COVID-19 with and without post-acute symptoms

  • Michael J. Peluso,
  • Amelia N. Deitchman,
  • Leonel Torres,
  • Nikita S. Iyer,
  • Sadie E. Munter,
  • Christopher C. Nixon,
  • Joanna Donatelli,
  • Cassandra Thanh,
  • Saki Takahashi,
  • Jill Hakim,
  • Keirstinne Turcios,
  • Owen Janson,
  • Rebecca Hoh,
  • Viva Tai,
  • Yanel Hernandez,
  • Emily A. Fehrman,
  • Matthew A. Spinelli,
  • Monica Gandhi,
  • Lan Trinh,
  • Terri Wrin,
  • Christos J. Petropoulos,
  • Francesca T. Aweeka,
  • Isabel Rodriguez-Barraquer,
  • J. Daniel Kelly,
  • Jeffrey N. Martin,
  • Steven G. Deeks,
  • Bryan Greenhouse,
  • Rachel L. Rutishauser,
  • Timothy J. Henrich

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 36, no. 6
p. 109518

Abstract

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Summary: We describe severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-specific T cell responses, soluble markers of inflammation, and antibody levels and neutralization capacity longitudinally in 70 individuals with PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Participants represent a spectrum of illness and recovery, including some with persistent viral shedding in saliva and many experiencing post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC). T cell responses remain stable for up to 9 months. Whereas the magnitude of early CD4+ T cell immune responses correlates with severity of initial infection, pre-existing lung disease is independently associated with higher long-term SARS-CoV-2-specific CD8+ T cell responses. Among participants with PASC 4 months following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptom onset, we observe a lower frequency of CD8+ T cells expressing CD107a, a marker of degranulation, in response to Nucleocapsid (N) peptide pool stimulation, and a more rapid decline in the frequency of N-specific interferon-γ-producing CD8+ T cells. Neutralizing antibody levels strongly correlate with SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4+ T cell responses.

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