Aging and inflammation limit the induction of SARS-CoV-2–specific CD8+ T cell responses in severe COVID-19

• DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.180867
• Publication Date: 2025-01-23T17:00:22Z
• Authors: Gaëlle Autaa; Laura Papagno; Takuto Nogimori; Andrea Boizard-Mo...; Daniil Korenkov; Maeva Roy; Koichiro Suzuki; Yuji Masuta; Eoghann White; Sian Llewellyn-Lacey; Yasuo Yoshioka; Francesco Nicoli; David A. Price; Julie Dechanet-Me...; Takuya Yamamoto; Isabelle Pellegrin; Victor Appay
• Keywords: 2019-20 coronavirus outbreak; Coronavirus

CD8+ T cells are critical for immune protection against severe COVID-19 during acute infection with SARS-CoV-2. However, the induction of antiviral cell responses varies substantially among infected people, and a better understanding mechanisms that underlie such heterogeneity is required pandemic preparedness risk stratification. In this study, we analyzed SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4+ in relation to age, clinical status, inflammation patients primarily initial wave France or Japan. We found age-related contraction naive lymphocyte pool systemic were associated suboptimal and, even more evidently, immunity COVID-19. No differences observed humoral targeting spike protein also proinflammatory cytokine IL-18, concentrations which significantly elevated disease, suppressed de novo memory recall antigen-specific cells, including those directed These results potentially explain vulnerability older adults infections elicit profound inflammatory response, exemplified by