Highly Functional Virus-specific Cellular Immune Response in Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Overview

Journal J Exp Med

Specialties Allergy & Immunology
General Medicine

Date 2021 Mar 1

PMID 33646265

Citations 204

Authors

Nina Le Bert

Hannah E Clapham

Anthony T Tan

Wan Ni Chia

Christine Y L Tham

Jane M Lim

Kamini Kunasegaran

Linda Wei Lin Tan

Charles-Antoine Dutertre

Nivedita Shankar

Joey M E Lim

Louisa Jin Sun

Marina Zahari

Zaw Myo Tun

Vishakha Kumar

Beng Lee Lim

Siew Hoon Lim

Adeline Chia

Yee-Joo Tan

Paul Anantharajah Tambyah

Shirin Kalimuddin

David Lye

Jenny G H Low

Lin-Fa Wang

Wei Yee Wan

Li Yang Hsu

Antonio Bertoletti

Clarence C Tam

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The efficacy of virus-specific T cells in clearing pathogens involves a fine balance between antiviral and inflammatory features. SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells in individuals who clear SARS-CoV-2 without symptoms could reveal nonpathological yet protective characteristics. We longitudinally studied SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells in a cohort of asymptomatic (n = 85) and symptomatic (n = 75) COVID-19 patients after seroconversion. We quantified T cells reactive to structural proteins (M, NP, and Spike) using ELISpot and cytokine secretion in whole blood. Frequencies of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells were similar between asymptomatic and symptomatic individuals, but the former showed an increased IFN-γ and IL-2 production. This was associated with a proportional secretion of IL-10 and proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β) only in asymptomatic infection, while a disproportionate secretion of inflammatory cytokines was triggered by SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell activation in symptomatic individuals. Thus, asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals are not characterized by weak antiviral immunity; on the contrary, they mount a highly functional virus-specific cellular immune response.

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