Dynamics of spike-and nucleocapsid specific immunity during long-term follow-up and vaccination of SARS-CoV-2 convalescents

Nina Koerber, Alina Priller, Sarah Yazici, Tanja Bauer, Cho-Chin Cheng, Hrvoje Mijočević, Hannah Wintersteller, Samuel Jeske, Emanuel Vogel, Martin Feuerherd, Kathrin Tinnefeld, Christof Winter, Jürgen Ruland, Markus Gerhard, Bernhard Haller, Catharina Christa, Otto Zelger, Hedwig Roggendorf, Martin Halle, Johanna Erber, Paul Lingor, Oliver Keppler, Dietmar Zehn, Ulrike Protzer () and Percy A. Knolle ()
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Nina Koerber: Institute of Virology, Helmholtz-Zentrum München/Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine
Alina Priller: Institute of Molecular Immunology and Experimental Oncology, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine
Sarah Yazici: Institute of Molecular Immunology and Experimental Oncology, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine
Tanja Bauer: Institute of Virology, Helmholtz-Zentrum München/Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine
Cho-Chin Cheng: Institute of Virology, Helmholtz-Zentrum München/Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine
Hrvoje Mijočević: Institute of Virology, Helmholtz-Zentrum München/Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine
Hannah Wintersteller: Institute of Molecular Immunology and Experimental Oncology, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine
Samuel Jeske: Institute of Virology, Helmholtz-Zentrum München/Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine
Emanuel Vogel: Institute of Virology, Helmholtz-Zentrum München/Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine
Martin Feuerherd: Institute of Virology, Helmholtz-Zentrum München/Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine
Kathrin Tinnefeld: Institute of Virology, Helmholtz-Zentrum München/Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine
Christof Winter: Institute of Clinical Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine
Jürgen Ruland: Institute of Clinical Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine
Markus Gerhard: Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine
Bernhard Haller: Institute of Medical Informatics, Statistics and Epidemiology, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine
Catharina Christa: Institute of Virology, Helmholtz-Zentrum München/Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine
Otto Zelger: Institute of Sports Medicine, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine
Hedwig Roggendorf: Institute of Molecular Immunology and Experimental Oncology, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine
Martin Halle: Institute of Sports Medicine, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine
Johanna Erber: Department of Internal Medicine II, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine
Paul Lingor: Department of Neurology, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine
Oliver Keppler: German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Munich partner site
Dietmar Zehn: Institute of Animal Physiology and Immunology, Technical University of Munich, School of Life Sciences
Ulrike Protzer: Institute of Virology, Helmholtz-Zentrum München/Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine
Percy A. Knolle: Institute of Molecular Immunology and Experimental Oncology, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine

Nature Communications, 2022, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-14

Abstract: Abstract 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.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27649-y

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