Enhanced Spike-specific, but attenuated Nucleocapsid-specific T cell responses upon SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough versus non-breakthrough infections

Language
en
Document Type
Article
Issue Date
2023-01-17
First published
2022-12-13
Issue Year
2022
Authors
Ahmed, Mohamed Ibraheem Mahmoud
Diepers, Paulina
Janke, Christian
Plank, Michael
Eser, Tabea M.
Rubio-Acero, Raquel
Fuchs, Anna
Baranov, Olga
Castelletti, Noemi
Kroidl, Inge
Editor
Publisher
Frontiers Media S.A.
Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 vaccine breakthrough infections frequently occurred even before the emergence of Omicron variants. Yet, relatively little is known about the impact of vaccination on SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell and antibody response dynamics upon breakthrough infection. We have therefore studied the dynamics of CD4 and CD8 T cells targeting the vaccine-encoded Spike and the non-encoded Nucleocapsid antigens during breakthrough infections (BTI, n=24) and in unvaccinated control infections (non-BTI, n=30). Subjects with vaccine breakthrough infection had significantly higher CD4 and CD8 T cell responses targeting the vaccine-encoded Spike during the first and third/fourth week after PCR diagnosis compared to non-vaccinated controls, respectively. In contrast, CD4 T cells targeting the non-vaccine encoded Nucleocapsid antigen were of significantly lower magnitude in BTI as compared to non-BTI. Hence, previous vaccination was linked to enhanced T cell responses targeting the vaccine-encoded Spike antigen, while responses against the non-vaccine encoded Nucleocapsid antigen were significantly attenuated.

Journal Title
Frontiers in Immunology
Volume
13
Citation
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