The following is a summary of “T cell-mediated Immune response and correlates of inflammation and their relationship with COVID-19 clinical severity: not an intuitive guess,” published in the June 2024 issue of Infectious Disease by Pena et al.
Determining predictors of SARS-CoV-2 infection outcomes remains an ongoing challenge.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study assessing viral characteristics and immune responses as potential predictors of COVID-19 clinical outcomes.
They measured the magnitude and breadth of T cell-mediated responses within 36 hours of symptom onset for individuals experiencing varied clinical outcomes. Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs) underwent in vitro stimulation with peptides based on SARS-CoV-2. Metagenomic sequencing produced SARS-CoV-2 sequences, and HLA typing utilized Luminex technology.
The result showed that CD4+T cell activation showed a significant negative correlation with initial SARS-CoV-2 viral load among severe patients with COVID-19 (P=0·043). The individuals who subsequently developed mild disease showed higher baseline levels of IFN-γ, indicating a robust overall cellular immune response in comparison to individuals with progressed to severe disease (P=0·0044). Additionally, individuals with milder disease demonstrated elevated T cell responses specific to MHC class I and II-restricted peptides (P=0·033).
Investigators concluded that early, targeted cellular immune response (IFN-γ) appeared beneficial in COVID-19, whereas a later, robust response (CD4+ activation) might be less effective.
Source: bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12879-024-09490-y
