Peptide pool stimulation enables longitudinal analysis of SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4 + and CD8 + T cells in ICU-admitted COVID-19 patients. SARS-CoV-2 has been identified as the causative agent of a global outbreak of respiratory tract disease (COVID-19). In some patients the infection results in moderate to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), requiring invasive mechanical ventilation. High serum levels of IL-6, IL-10 and an immune hyperresponsiveness referred to as a ‘cytokine storm’ have been associated with poor clinical outcome. Despite the large numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths, information on the phenotype and kinetics of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells is limited. Here, we studied 10 COVID-19 patients who required admission to an intensive care unit and detected SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4 + and CD8 + T cells in 10 out of 10 and 8 out of 10 patients, respectively. We also detected low levels of SARS-CoV-2-reactive T cells in 2 out of 10 healthy controls not previously exposed to SARS-CoV-2, which is indicative of cross-reactivity due to past infection with ‘common cold’ coronaviruses. The strongest T-cell responses were directed to the spike (S) surface glycoprotein, and SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells predominantly produced effector and Th1 cytokines, although Th2 and Th17 cytokines were also detected. Furthermore, we studied T-cell kinetics and showed that SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells are present relatively early and increase over time. Collectively, these data shed light on the potential variations in T-cell responses as a function of disease severity, an issue that is key to understanding the potential role of immunopathology in the disease, and also inform vaccine design and evaluation.
【초록키워드】 COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, ARDS, Coronaviruses, intensive care, IL-6, disease severity, T-cell Response, Variation, Vaccine design, Th2, Th17, Infection, cytokine, immunopathology, CD4, CD8, immune, Clinical outcome, cross-reactivity, Surface glycoprotein, T cell, outbreak, Patient, phenotype, respiratory tract, T-cell, IL-10, information, disease, Admission, moderate, patients, COVID-19 patients, longitudinal analysis, acute respiratory distress, Invasive mechanical ventilation, deaths, COVID-19 patient, in some, Serum level, healthy control, These data, COVID-19 case, syndrome, Th1 cytokines, produced, the disease, required, SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell, 【제목키워드】 acute respiratory distress, COVID-19 patient, syndrome, SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell,