Abstract
Understanding the hallmarks of the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 is critical for fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. We assessed antibody and T cell reactivity in convalescent COVID-19 patients and healthy donors sampled both prior to and during the pandemic. Healthy donors examined during the pandemic exhibited increased numbers of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells, but no humoral response. Their probable exposure to the virus resulted in either asymptomatic infection without antibody secretion or activation of preexisting immunity. In convalescent patients, we observed a public and diverse T cell response to SARS-CoV-2 epitopes, revealing T cell receptor (TCR) motifs with germline-encoded features. Bulk CD4 + and CD8 + T cell responses to the spike protein were mediated by groups of homologous TCRs, some of them shared across multiple donors. Overall, our results demonstrate that the T cell response to SARS-CoV-2, including the identified set of TCRs, can serve as a useful biomarker for surveying antiviral immunity.
Keywords: COVID-19; HLA-A∗02:01; MHC; SARS-CoV-2; Spike; T cell epitopes; T cell receptor; T cell response; TCR sequencing; clonal structure.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, spike, T cell receptor, MHC, T cell response, HLA-A∗02:01, T cell epitopes, TCR sequencing, clonal structure., 【초록키워드】 immune response, pandemic, Biomarker, antibody, COVID-19 pandemic, virus, CD4, CD8, T cell, Convalescent patients, Features, asymptomatic infection, understanding, donors, group, antiviral immunity, homologous, TCR, Critical, antibody secretion, SARS-CoV-2 epitopes, Preexisting immunity, SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells, Donor, humoral, Activation, hallmark, motif, TCRs, healthy donor, examined, exhibited, the spike protein, reactivity, convalescent COVID-19 patient, 【제목키워드】 Human, repertoire, Public,