Evaluation of specific T cell immune response to SARS-CoV-2 in COVID-19 infection and following Gam-COVID-Vac vaccine prophylaxis

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Abstract

An aberrant immune response during SARS-CoV-2 infection has been shown to determine the clinical features, disease severity, and progression of COVID-19 infection. This work aimed for comprehensive assessment of the immune response by comparative evaluation of diagnostic significance of the antibodies to RBD domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, as well as detection of effector CD4+ and CD8+T cells specific to SARS-CoV-2 antigens. The study was performed in unvaccinated persons, healthy individuals vaccinated with Gam-COVID-Vac, and in the patients who have had COVID-19 infection. We have found that IgG antibodies to the RBD domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein are detectable at a frequency of 73% to 92% of cases in vaccinated persons and COVID-19 reconvalescents. The numbers of effector CD4+ and CD8+T lymphocytes responding to stimulation with SARS-CoV-2 antigens by producing the IFNã cytokine varied depending on the introduced antigen and tended to be higher in vaccinated individuals. In non-vaccinated healthy persons who contacted with COVID-19 patients, T cell response to the SARS-CoV-2 nucleoproteins was revealed. For adequate assessment of antiviral and post-vaccination immune response to COVID-19, it would be necessary to study not only humoral immune response by the presence of antibodies, but also functionally active specific T lymphocytes directed for SARS-CoV-2 protein antigens.

About the authors

N. G. Plekhova

Pacific State Medical University

Author for correspondence.
Email: pl_nat@hotmail.com

PhD, MD (Biology), Associate Professor, Head, Central Research Laboratory

Russian Federation, Vladivostok

T. S. Sitdikova

Pacific State Medical University

Email: pl_nat@hotmail.com

PhD (Medicine), Lecturer, Department of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics, General and Clinical Immunology

Russian Federation, Vladivostok

A. A. Dubiy

Pacific State Medical University

Email: olleariu.a@yandex.ru

Student, Faculty of Public Health

Russian Federation, Vladivostok

A. O. Mikhailov

Pacific State Medical University

Email: pl_nat@hotmail.com

PhD (Medicine), Research Associate, Central Research Laboratory

Russian Federation, Vladivostok

E. V. Prosekovа

Pacific State Medical University

Email: pl_nat@hotmail.com

PhD, MD (Medicine), Professor, Head, Department of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics, General and Clinical Immunology

Russian Federation, Vladivostok

References

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Supplementary files

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2. Figure 1. Result of a positive TigerTest® SARS-CoV-2 assay

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3. Figure 2. Indicators of the number of effector CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes according to the results of the Tigra-Test® SARSCoV-2 for healthy individuals not vaccinated and not infected by the COVID-19 (A), vaccinated with Gam-COVID-Vac and not infected by the COVID-19 (B), unvaccinated, infected by the COVID-19 (C), vaccinated, infected by the COVID-19 (D) unvaccinated, infected by the COVID-19, rehabilitation period (E), vaccinated, infected by the COVID-19, rehabilitation period (F)

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Copyright (c) 2022 Plekhova N.G., Sitdikova T.S., Dubiy A.A., Mikhailov A.O., Prosekovа E.V.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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