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. 2022 Aug 30;11(17):5103.
doi: 10.3390/jcm11175103.

Measuring T-Cell Responses against SARS-CoV-2 Is of Utility for Disease and Vaccination Management

Guillem Safont  1   2   3 , Irene Latorre  1   2   3 , Raquel Villar-Hernández  1   2   3 , Zoran Stojanovic  2   3   4 , Alicia Marín  2   3   4 , Cristina Pérez-Cano  5 , Alicia Lacoma  1   2   3 , Bárbara Molina-Moya  1   2   3 , Alan Jhunior Solis  2   3   4 , Fernando Arméstar  6 , Joan Matllo  5 , Sergio Díaz-Fernández  1   2   3 , Arnau Cendón  1   2   3 , Liliya Sokalchuk  1   2   3 , Guillermo Tolosa  7 , Irma Casas  3   8 , Antoni Rosell  2   3   4 , José Domínguez  1   2   3
Affiliations

Measuring T-Cell Responses against SARS-CoV-2 Is of Utility for Disease and Vaccination Management

Guillem Safont et al. J Clin Med. .

Abstract

The measurement of specific T-cell responses can be a useful tool for COVID-19 diagnostics and clinical management. In this study, we evaluated the IFN-γ T-cell response against the main SARS-CoV-2 antigens (spike, nucleocapsid and membrane) in acute and convalescent individuals classified according to severity, and in vaccinated and unvaccinated controls. IgG against spike and nucleocapsid were also measured. Spike antigen triggered the highest number of T-cell responses. Acute patients showed a low percentage of positive responses when compared to convalescent (71.6% vs. 91.7%, respectively), but increased during hospitalization and with severity. Some convalescent patients showed an IFN-γ T-cell response more than 200 days after diagnosis. Only half of the vaccinated individuals displayed an IFN-γ T-cell response after the second dose. IgG response was found in a higher percentage of individuals compared to IFN-γ T-cell responses, and moderate correlations between both responses were seen. However, in some acute COVID-19 patients specific T-cell response was detected, but not IgG production. We found that the chances of an IFN-γ T-cell response against SARS-CoV-2 is low during acute phase, but may increase over time, and that only half of the vaccinated individuals had an IFN-γ T-cell response after the second dose.

Keywords: ELISPOT; IFN-γ; SARS-CoV-2; T-cell response; humoral response; vaccination.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders did not play a role in the study design, conduct, collection, management, analysis, or interpretation of the data; or preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Number of SFCs after stimulation with spike in the different study groups. Horizontal lines represent medians. Grey area shows borderline results. Differences between conditions were calculated using the two-tailed Mann-Whitney U test. p is considered significant when <0.05 (* <0.05, ** <0.01, and **** <0.0001).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Correlation of the IFN-γ response against spike (SFCs) with days after the first dose of the vaccine administration (a). Orange dots are samples from individuals with only one dose. Correlation of the IFN-γ response (SFCs) in spike (b), NCP (c), and membrane (d) with days after diagnosis (PCR) in convalescent patients. Grey area shows borderline results. Correlations were calculated using the two-tailed non-parametric Spearman test.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Correlations between the IFN-γ T-cell (SFCs) and IgG responses against spike (a) and NCP (b). AR refers to Absorbance Ratio (sample Abs/calibrator Abs). BAU refers to Binding Antibody Units. Grey areas show borderline results. Correlations were calculated using the two-tailed non-parametric Spearman test. In Figure 3a, results out of the calibration curve (equal or over 384 BAU/mL) were excluded from the Spearman test.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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