Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The immunologic correlates of rapid clearance of SARS-CoV-2 shedding are not well understood, partly due to challenges of collecting samples early after infection and the fact that most studies do not measure infectious virus. Here, we performed mass cytometry profiling of peripheral blood cells collected from people 4-6 days after onset of symptoms from acute SARS-CoV-2 infection who underwent daily nasopharyngeal testing for SARS-CoV-2 culture positivity. We identified broad and coordinated activation of innate and adaptive immune cells in unvaccinated individuals with primary infection. Faster clearance of infectious virus shedding was associated with robust adaptive immune cell activation and proliferation, namely among cytotoxic CD8+, CD4+, and γδ T cells and plasmablasts. In contrast, vaccinated individuals who rapidly cleared breakthrough infection showed minimal cellular immune activation. Our findings identify early immune correlates of rapid clearance of infectious SARS-CoV-2 shedding that may inform future prevention and therapeutic approaches to reduce disease burden and transmission.
Authors: Lily Zemelko, Rafael Tiburcio, Yen Y. Wang, Christian M. Constantz, Gina M. Borgo, Wenxuan Chen, Matthew H. Spitzer, Khamal A. Anglin, Scott Lu, Sarah A. Goldberg, Michel Tassetto, Miguel A. Garcia-Knight, Steven G. Deeks, Raul Andino, Jeffrey N. Martin, Peter W. Hunt, Michael J. Peluso, J. Daniel Kelly, Amelia N. Deitchman, Rachel L. Rutishauser
Institution: University of California, San Francisco
Language: English
Subfield: Infectious Diseases
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7225332171