T-cell immunity is important for recovery from COVID-19 and provides heightened immunity for re-infection. However, little is known about the SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell immunity in virus-exposed individuals. Here we report virus-specific CD4 + and CD8 + T-cell memory in recovered COVID-19 patients and close contacts. We also demonstrate the size and quality of the memory T-cell pool of COVID-19 patients are larger and better than those of close contacts. However, the proliferation capacity, size and quality of T-cell responses in close contacts are readily distinguishable from healthy donors, suggesting close contacts are able to gain T-cell immunity against SARS-CoV-2 despite lacking a detectable infection. Additionally, asymptomatic and symptomatic COVID-19 patients contain similar levels of SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell memory. Overall, this study demonstrates the versatility and potential of memory T cells from COVID-19 patients and close contacts, which may be important for host protection. T cells compose a critical component of the immune response to coronavirus infection with SARS-CoV-2. Here the authors characterise the T cell response to SARS CoV-2 in patients and their close contacts, and show the presence of SARS-CoV-2 specific T cells in the absence of detectable virus infection.
【저자키워드】 SARS-CoV-2, viral infection, Respiratory tract diseases, T cells, 【초록키워드】 COVID-19, SARS CoV-2, Coronavirus infection, immune response, Immunity, T cells, T-cell Response, Infection, CD4, CD8, memory, T cell, Asymptomatic, symptomatic, memory T cells, Patient, Re-infection, virus infection, T-cell, Critical, T cell response, memory T cell, COVID-19 patients, T-cell responses, T-cell immunity, Recovered COVID-19 patients, close contact, COVID-19 patient, proliferation, healthy donors, SARS CoV, Host, recovered COVID-19 patient, detectable, provide, absence, individuals, compose, 【제목키워드】 memory, T-cell, exposure to, detectable, generate, absence,