A central feature of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is that some individuals become severely ill or die, whereas others have only a mild disease course or are asymptomatic. Here we report development of an improved multimeric αβ T cell staining reagent platform, with each maxi-ferritin “spheromer” displaying 12 peptide-MHC complexes. Spheromers stain specific T cells more efficiently than peptide-MHC tetramers and capture a broader portion of the sequence repertoire for a given peptide-MHC. Analyzing the response in unexposed individuals, we find that T cells recognizing peptides conserved amongst coronaviruses are more abundant and tend to have a “memory” phenotype, compared to those unique to SARS-CoV-2. Significantly, CD8 + T cells with these conserved specificities are much more abundant in COVID-19 patients with mild disease versus those with a more severe illness, suggesting a protective role. One-sentence summary: T cells specific for conserved coronavirus antigens are preferentially expanded in COVID-19 patients with mild disease.
【초록키워드】 SARS-CoV-2, coronavirus, pandemic, peptide, CD8, Antigen, specificity, T cell, Asymptomatic, phenotype, Mild, platform, COVID-19 patient, individual, disease course, sequence, protective role, staining, conserved, unique, recognizing, complexes, individuals, displaying, the SARS-CoV-2, with mild disease, 【제목키워드】 coronavirus, CD8, T cell, epitope, disease, COVID-19 patient, conserved,