Authors
Petra Bacher, Elisa Rosati, Daniela Esser, Gabriela Rios Martini, Carina Saggau, Esther Schiminsky, Justina Dargvainiene, Ina Schröder, Imke Wieters, Yascha Khodamoradi, Fabian Eberhardt, Maria JGT Vehreschild, Holger Neb, Michael Sonntagbauer, Claudio Conrad, Florian Tran, Philip Rosenstiel, Robert Markewitz, Klaus-Peter Wandinger, Max Augustin, Jan Rybniker, Matthias Kochanek, Frank Leypoldt, Oliver A Cornely, Philipp Koehler, Andre Franke, Alexander Scheffold
Publication date
2020/12/15
Journal
Immunity
Volume
53
Issue
6
Pages
1258-1271. e5
Publisher
Cell Press
Description
CD4+ T cells reactive against SARS-CoV-2 can be found in unexposed individuals, and these are suggested to arise in response to common cold coronavirus (CCCoV) infection. Here, we utilized SARS-CoV-2-reactive CD4+ T cell enrichment to examine the antigen avidity and clonality of these cells, as well as the relative contribution of CCCoV cross-reactivity. SARS-CoV-2-reactive CD4+ memory T cells were present in virtually all unexposed individuals examined, displaying low functional avidity and multiple, highly variable cross-reactivities that were not restricted to CCCoVs. SARS-CoV-2-reactive CD4+ T cells from COVID-19 patients lacked cross-reactivity to CCCoVs, irrespective of strong memory T cell responses against CCCoV in all donors analyzed. In severe but not mild COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells displayed low functional avidity and clonality, despite increased frequencies. Our findings …
Scholar articles
P Bacher, E Rosati, D Esser, GR Martini, C Saggau… - Immunity, 2020