Early induction of functional SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells associates with rapid viral clearance and mild disease in COVID-19 patients

• DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.108728
• Publication Date: 2021-01-22T03:42:38Z
• Authors: Anthony T. Tan; Martin Linster; Chee Wah Tan; Nina Le Bert; Wan Ni Chia; Kamini Kunasegaran; Yan Zhuang; Christine Y.L. Tham; Adeline Chia; Gavin J.D. Smith; Barnaby Young; Shirin Kalimuddin; Jenny G.H. Low; David Lye; Lin-Fa Wang; Antonio Bertoletti
• Keywords: Convalescence; Coronaviridae; Humoral immunity; Nucleoprotein

Virus-specific humoral and cellular immunity act synergistically to protect the host from viral infection. We interrogate dynamic changes of virological immunological parameters in 12 patients with symptomatic acute SARS-CoV-2 infection disease onset convalescence or death. quantify RNA respiratory tract parallel antibodies circulating T cells specific for various structural (nucleoprotein [NP], membrane [M], ORF3a, spike) non-structural (ORF7/8, NSP7, NSP13) proteins. Although rapid induction quantity responses associate an increase severity, early interferon (IFN)-γ-secreting SARS-CoV-2-specific is present mild accelerated clearance. These findings provide support prognostic value functional important implications vaccine design immune monitoring.