TY - JOUR

T1 - Immune cell populations and induced immune responses at admission in patients hospitalized with vaccine breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infections

AU - Sejdic, Adin

AU - Hartling, Hans Jakob

AU - Holler, Jon Gitz

AU - Klingen Gjærde, Lars

AU - Lindegaard, Birgitte

AU - Dungu, Arnold Matovu

AU - Gnesin, Filip

AU - Møller, Maria Elizabeth Engel

AU - Teglgaard, Rebecca Svanberg

AU - Niemann, Carsten Utoft

AU - Brooks, Patrick Terrence

AU - Jørgensen, Charlotte Sværke

AU - Franck, Kristina Træholt

AU - Fischer, Thea K.

AU - Marquart, Hanne Vibeke

AU - Harboe, Zitta Barrella

AU - Ostrowski, Sisse Rye

N1 - Publisher Copyright: Copyright © 2024 Sejdic, Hartling, Holler, Klingen Gjærde, Lindegaard, Dungu, Gnesin, Møller, Teglgaard, Niemann, Brooks, Jørgensen, Franck, Fischer, Marquart, Harboe and Ostrowski.

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - Background: Vaccine breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infections are common and of clinical and public health concern. However, little is known about the immunological characteristics of patients hospitalized due to these infections. We aimed to investigate and compare immune cell subpopulations and induced immune responses in vaccinated and non-vaccinated patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19. Methods: A nested case-control study on adults (≥ 18 years) who received at least two doses of a mRNA-COVID-19 vaccine and were hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infections and severe COVID-19 between January 7, 2021, and February 1, 2022, were eligible for inclusion. Age- and sex-matched non-vaccinated controls were identified. Immunophenotyping was performed using a custom-designed 10-color flow cytometry prefabricated freeze-dried antibody panel (DuraClone, Beckman Coulter (BC), Brea, Calif). TruCulture (Myriad RBM, Austin, USA) was used to assess induced immune response in whole blood, revealing different critical signaling pathways as a proxy for immune function. All samples were obtained within 48 hours of admission. Results: In total, 20 hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19 and a breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection were included, ten vaccinated and ten non-vaccinated patients. Vaccinated patients had lower concentrations of CD19 B cells (p = 0.035), naïve CD4 T cells (p = 0.015), a higher proportion of γδ1 T cells (p = 0.019), and higher unstimulated immune cell release of IL-10 (p = 0.015). Conclusion: We observed immunological differences between vaccinated and non-vaccinated patients hospitalized due to severe COVID-19 that indicate that vaccinated patients had lower B cell concentrations, lower concentrations of CD4 naïve T cells, a skewed gamma-delta V1/V2 ratio, and an exaggerated IL-10 response at admission. These results could indicate a suboptimal immune response involved in SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infections that cause severe COVID-19 in vaccinated adults. However, the sample size was small, and further research is needed to confirm these results.

AB - Background: Vaccine breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infections are common and of clinical and public health concern. However, little is known about the immunological characteristics of patients hospitalized due to these infections. We aimed to investigate and compare immune cell subpopulations and induced immune responses in vaccinated and non-vaccinated patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19. Methods: A nested case-control study on adults (≥ 18 years) who received at least two doses of a mRNA-COVID-19 vaccine and were hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infections and severe COVID-19 between January 7, 2021, and February 1, 2022, were eligible for inclusion. Age- and sex-matched non-vaccinated controls were identified. Immunophenotyping was performed using a custom-designed 10-color flow cytometry prefabricated freeze-dried antibody panel (DuraClone, Beckman Coulter (BC), Brea, Calif). TruCulture (Myriad RBM, Austin, USA) was used to assess induced immune response in whole blood, revealing different critical signaling pathways as a proxy for immune function. All samples were obtained within 48 hours of admission. Results: In total, 20 hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19 and a breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection were included, ten vaccinated and ten non-vaccinated patients. Vaccinated patients had lower concentrations of CD19 B cells (p = 0.035), naïve CD4 T cells (p = 0.015), a higher proportion of γδ1 T cells (p = 0.019), and higher unstimulated immune cell release of IL-10 (p = 0.015). Conclusion: We observed immunological differences between vaccinated and non-vaccinated patients hospitalized due to severe COVID-19 that indicate that vaccinated patients had lower B cell concentrations, lower concentrations of CD4 naïve T cells, a skewed gamma-delta V1/V2 ratio, and an exaggerated IL-10 response at admission. These results could indicate a suboptimal immune response involved in SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infections that cause severe COVID-19 in vaccinated adults. However, the sample size was small, and further research is needed to confirm these results.

KW - cytokines

KW - immune cell populations

KW - inflammation

KW - mRNA vaccine against SARS-CoV2

KW - vaccine breakthrough infection

U2 - 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1360843

DO - 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1360843

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 38903511

AN - SCOPUS:85196264601

VL - 15

JO - Frontiers in Immunology

JF - Frontiers in Immunology

SN - 1664-3224

M1 - 1360843

ER -