Widely heterogeneous humoral and cellular immunity after mild SARS-CoV-2 infection in a homogeneous population of healthy young men
Year: 2021
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background: We studied humoral and cellular responses against SARS-CoV-2 longitudinally in a homogeneous population of healthy young/middle-aged men of South Asian ethnicity with mild COVID-19. Methods: In total, we recruited 994 men (median age: 34 years) post-COVID-19 diagnosis. Repeated cross-sectional surveys were conducted between May 2020 and January 2021 at six time points – day 28 (n = 327), day 80 (n = 202), day 105 (n = 294), day 140 (n = 172), day 180 (n = 758), and day 280 (n = 311). Three commercial assays were used to detect anti-nucleoprotein (NP) and neutralizing antibodies. T cell response specific for Spike, Membrane and NP SARS-CoV-2 proteins was tested in 85 patients at day 105, 180, and 280. Results: All serological tests displayed different kinetics of progressive antibody reduction while the frequency of T cells specific for different structural SARS-CoV-2 proteins was stable over time. Both showed a marked heterogeneity of magnitude among the studied cohort. Comparatively, cellular responses lasted longer than humoral responses and were still detectable nine months after infection in the individuals who lost antibody detection. Correlation between T cell frequencies and all antibodies was lost over time. Conclusion: Humoral and cellular immunity against SARS-CoV-2 is induced with differing kinetics of persistence in those with mild disease. The magnitude of T cells and antibodies is highly heterogeneous in a homogeneous study population. These observations have implications for COVID-19 surveillance, vaccination strategies, and post-pandemic planning.
Source: Emerging Microbes & Infections
Authors: Nina Le Bert, Wan Ni Chia, Wei Yee Wan, Alvin Kuo Jing Teo, Samuel Zeng-Rong Chong, Nicole Tan, Doreen Soek Chin Tan, Adeline Chia, Iain Beehuat Tan, Kamini Kunasegaran, Qin Xuan Chua, Mohammad Yazid Abdad, Aven Shan Hua Ng, Shawn Vasoo, Julian Xiao-Li Ang, Mao Sheng Lee, Louisa Sun, Jinyan Fang, Feng Zhu, Alex R. Cook, Tar Choon Aw, Jingxiang Huang, Clarence Tam, Fong Sin Lee, Hannah Clapham, Enan Jun-Kang Goh, Monica Socheata Suor Peou, Shiow Pin Tan, Siew Kim Ong, Lin-Fa Wang, Antonio Bertoletti, Li Yang Hsu, Biauw Chi Ong
Institutions: National University of Singapore, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore General Hospital, Sengkang General Hospital, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Genome Institute of Singapore, Mahidol University, University of Oxford, Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, National Centre for Infectious Diseases, Alexandra Hospital, Alexandra Hospital, Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering
Language: English
Subfield: Infectious Diseases
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,643
Awards: G3137776846, G5551174097
OpenAlex ID: W3209959299