Adaptive immunity to human coronaviruses is widespread but low in magnitude.

2021-03-17

Tan, Hyon-Xhi

Lee, Wen Shi

Wragg, Kathleen M

Nelson, Christina

Esterbauer, Robyn

Kelly, Hannah G

Amarasena, Thakshila

Jones, Robert M

Starkey, Graham M

Wang, Bao Zhong

Yoshino, Osamu

Tiang, Thomas

Grayson, Michael Lindsay

Opdam, Helen I

D'Costa, Rohit

Vago, Angela

Mackay, Laura K

Gordon, Claire L

Wheatley, Adam K

Kent, Stephen J

Juno, Jennifer A

CD4 T cell

SARS‐CoV‐2

cTFH

coronavirus

hCoV

lymph node

Journal Article

0000-0002-7091-0048

0000-0002-9072-1017

10.1002/cti2.1264

Endemic human coronaviruses (hCoVs) circulate worldwide but cause minimal mortality. Although seroconversion to hCoV is near ubiquitous during childhood, little is known about hCoV-specific T-cell memory in adults. We quantified CD4 T-cell and antibody responses to hCoV spike antigens in 42 SARS-CoV-2-uninfected individuals. Antigen-specific memory T cells and circulating T follicular helper (cTFH) cells were identified using an activation-induced marker assay and characterised for memory phenotype and chemokine receptor expression. T-cell responses were widespread within conventional memory and cTFH compartments but did not correlate with IgG titres. SARS-CoV-2 cross-reactive T cells were observed in 48% of participants and correlated with HKU1 memory. hCoV-specific T cells exhibited a CCR6+ central memory phenotype in the blood, but were enriched for frequency and CXCR3 expression in human lung-draining lymph nodes. Overall, hCoV-specific humoral and cellular memory are independently maintained, with a shared phenotype existing among coronavirus-specific CD4 T cells. This understanding of endemic coronavirus immunity provides insight into the homeostatic maintenance of immune responses that are likely to be critical components of protection against SARS-CoV-2.

link

Clinical & Translational Immunology 2021; 10(3): e1264

Clinical & Translational Immunology

2050-0068