Anti-viral immunity continuously declines over time after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Here, we characterize the dynamics of anti-viral immunity during long-term follow-up and after BNT162b2 mRNA-vaccination in convalescents after asymptomatic or mild SARS-CoV-2 infection. Virus-specific and virus-neutralizing antibody titers rapidly declined in convalescents over 9 months after infection, whereas virus-specific cytokine-producing polyfunctional T cells persisted, among which IL-2-producing T cells correlated with virus-neutralizing antibody titers. Among convalescents, 5% of individuals failed to mount long-lasting immunity after infection and showed a delayed response to vaccination compared to 1% of naïve vaccinees, but successfully responded to prime/boost vaccination. During the follow-up period, 8% of convalescents showed a selective increase in virus-neutralizing antibody titers without accompanying increased frequencies of circulating SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells. The same convalescents, however, responded to vaccination with simultaneous increase in antibody and T cell immunity revealing the strength of mRNA-vaccination to increase virus-specific immunity in convalescents. Waning immunity to SARS-CoV-2 is of concern. Here the authors follow spike- and nucleocapsid specific immunity in convalescent individuals for 9 months observing a decline in antibody levels but persisting T cell response. Vaccination approximately 11 months after infection boosts antibody and T cell immunity.
【저자키워드】 SARS-CoV-2, viral infection, Outcomes research, 【초록키워드】 vaccination, Immunity, spike, antibody, T cells, SARS-COV-2 infection, Infection, BNT162b2, T cell, Asymptomatic, nucleocapsid, mRNA, antibody levels, convalescent, T cell response, Antibody titers, boost, SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells, BNT162b2 mRNA, Frequency, Decline, Long-term follow-up, waning immunity, specific immunity, strength, delayed response, follow-up period, neutralizing antibody titers, individual, circulating, selective, convalescent individuals, mild SARS-CoV-2 infection, Anti-viral immunity, naïve vaccinees, virus-neutralizing antibody, convalescent individual, long-lasting, correlated, increase in, declined, responded to vaccination, 【제목키워드】 vaccination, Immunity, Dynamics, nucleocapsid, convalescent,