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High frequencies of alpha common cold coronavirus/SARS-CoV-2 cross-reactive functional CD4+ and CD8+ memory T cells are associated with protection from symptomatic and fatal SARS-CoV-2 infections in unvaccinated COVID-19 patients.


ABSTRACT:

Background

Cross-reactive SARS-CoV-2-specific memory CD4+ and CD8+ T cells are present in up to 50% of unexposed, pre-pandemic, healthy individuals (UPPHIs). However, the characteristics of cross-reactive memory CD4+ and CD8+ T cells associated with subsequent protection of asymptomatic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients (i.e., unvaccinated individuals who never develop any COVID-19 symptoms despite being infected with SARS-CoV-2) remains to be fully elucidated.

Methods

This study compares the antigen specificity, frequency, phenotype, and function of cross-reactive memory CD4+ and CD8+ T cells between common cold coronaviruses (CCCs) and SARS-CoV-2. T-cell responses against genome-wide conserved epitopes were studied early in the disease course in a cohort of 147 unvaccinated COVID-19 patients who were divided into six groups based on the severity of their symptoms.

Results

Compared to severely ill COVID-19 patients and patients with fatal COVID-19 outcomes, the asymptomatic COVID-19 patients displayed significantly: (i) higher rates of co-infection with the 229E alpha species of CCCs (α-CCC-229E); (ii) higher frequencies of cross-reactive functional CD134+CD137+CD4+ and CD134+CD137+CD8+ T cells that cross-recognized conserved epitopes from α-CCCs and SARS-CoV-2 structural, non-structural, and accessory proteins; and (iii) lower frequencies of CCCs/SARS-CoV-2 cross-reactive exhausted PD-1+TIM3+TIGIT+CTLA4+CD4+ and PD-1+TIM3+TIGIT+CTLA4+CD8+ T cells, detected both ex vivo and in vitro.

Conclusions

These findings (i) support a crucial role of functional, poly-antigenic α-CCCs/SARS-CoV-2 cross-reactive memory CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, induced following previous CCCs seasonal exposures, in protection against subsequent severe COVID-19 disease and (ii) provide critical insights into developing broadly protective, multi-antigen, CD4+, and CD8+ T-cell-based, universal pan-Coronavirus vaccines capable of conferring cross-species protection.

SUBMITTER: Coulon PG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11007208 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

High frequencies of alpha common cold coronavirus/SARS-CoV-2 cross-reactive functional CD4<sup>+</sup> and CD8<sup>+</sup> memory T cells are associated with protection from symptomatic and fatal SARS-CoV-2 infections in unvaccinated COVID-19 patients.

Coulon Pierre-Gregoire PG   Prakash Swayam S   Dhanushkodi Nisha R NR   Srivastava Ruchi R   Zayou Latifa L   Tifrea Delia F DF   Edwards Robert A RA   Figueroa Cesar J CJ   Schubl Sebastian D SD   Hsieh Lanny L   Nesburn Anthony B AB   Kuppermann Baruch D BD   Bahraoui Elmostafa E   Vahed Hawa H   Gil Daniel D   Jones Trevor M TM   Ulmer Jeffrey B JB   BenMohamed Lbachir L  

Frontiers in immunology 20240328


<h4>Background</h4>Cross-reactive SARS-CoV-2-specific memory CD4<sup>+</sup> and CD8<sup>+</sup> T cells are present in up to 50% of unexposed, pre-pandemic, healthy individuals (UPPHIs). However, the characteristics of cross-reactive memory CD4<sup>+</sup> and CD8<sup>+</sup> T cells associated with subsequent protection of asymptomatic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients (i.e., unvaccinated individuals who never develop any COVID-19 symptoms despite being infected with SARS-CoV-2) rem  ...[more]

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