SARS-CoV-2-specific CD8⁺ T cells from people with long COVID establish and maintain effector phenotype and key TCR signatures over 2 years.

ABSTRACT: Long COVID occurs in a small but important minority of patients following COVID-19, reducing quality of life and contributing to healthcare burden. Although research into underlying mechanisms is evolving, immunity is understudied. SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell responses are of key importance for viral clearance and COVID-19 recovery. However, in long COVID, the establishment and persistence of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells are far from clear, especially beyond 12 mo postinfection and postvaccination. We defined ex vivo antigen-specific B cell and T cell responses and their T cell receptors (TCR) repertoires across 2 y postinfection in people with long COVID. Using 13 SARS-CoV-2 peptide-HLA tetramers, spanning 11 HLA allotypes, as well as spike and nucleocapsid probes, we tracked SARS-CoV-2-spe

SUBMITTER: Rowntree LC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11441481 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature