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

Ahmed MIM, Diepers P, Janke C, Plank M, Eser TM, Rubio-Acero R, Fuchs A, Baranov O, Castelletti N, Kroidl I, Olbrich L, Bauer B, Wang D, Prelog M, Liese JG, Reinkemeyer C, Hoelscher M, Steininger P, Überla K, Wieser A, Geldmacher C (2022)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2022

Journal

Frontiers in Immunology Frontiers Research Foundation / Frontiers Media

Book Volume: 13

DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1026473

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.

Authors with CRIS profile

Philipp Steininger Institute of Clinical and Molecular Virology Klaus Überla Lehrstuhl für Klinische und Molekulare Virologie

Involved external institutions

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) DE Germany (DE) Universitätsklinikum Würzburg DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Ahmed, M.I.M., Diepers, P., Janke, C., Plank, M., Eser, T.M., Rubio-Acero, R.,... Geldmacher, C. (2022). Enhanced Spike-specific, but attenuated Nucleocapsid-specific T cell responses upon SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough versus non-breakthrough infections. Frontiers in Immunology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2022.1026473

MLA:

Ahmed, Mohamed Ibraheem Mahmoud, et al. "Enhanced Spike-specific, but attenuated Nucleocapsid-specific T cell responses upon SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough versus non-breakthrough infections." Frontiers in Immunology 13 (2022).

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