RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Robust and Functional Immunity up to 9 months after SARS-CoV-2 infection: a Southeast Asian longitudinal cohort
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 2021.08.12.455901
DO 10.1101/2021.08.12.455901
A1 Vo Hoa Thi My
A1 Maestri Alvino
A1 Auerswald Heidi
A1 Sorn Sopheak
A1 Lay Sokchea
A1 Heng Seng
A1 Sann Sotheary
A1 Ya Nisa
A1 Pean Polidy
A1 Dussart Philippe
A1 Schwartz Olivier
A1 Ly Sovann
A1 Bruel Timothee
A1 Ly Sowath
A1 Duong Veasna
A1 Karlsson Erik A
A1 Cantaert Tineke
YR 2021
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2021/08/12/2021.08.12.455901.abstract
AB Assessing the duration of humoral and cellular immunity remains key to overcome the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, especially in understudied populations in least developed countries. Sixty-four Cambodian individuals with laboratory-confirmed infection with asymptomatic or mild/moderate clinical presentation were evaluated for humoral immune response to the viral spike protein and antibody effector functions during acute phase of infection and at 6-9 months follow-up. Antigen-specific B cells, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were characterized, and T cells were interrogated for functionality at late convalescence. Anti-spike (S) antibody titers decreased over time, but effector functions mediated by S-specific antibodies remained stable. S- and nucleocapsid (N)-specific B cells could be detected in late convalescence in the activated memory B cell compartment and are mostly IgG+. CD4+ and CD8+ T cell immunity was maintained to S and membrane (M) protein. Asymptomatic infection resulted in decreased ADCC and frequency of SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4+ T cells at late convalescence. Whereas anti-S antibodies correlated with S-specific B cells, there was no correlation between T cell response and humoral immunity. Hence, all aspects of a protective immune response are maintained up to nine months after SARS-CoV-2 infection in the absence of re-infection.One sentence summary Functional immune memory to SARS-CoV-2, consisting of polyfunctional antibodies, memory B cells and memory T cells are maintained up to nine months in a South-East Asian cohort in the absence of re-infection.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.