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SARS-CoV-2 specific T cell responses are lower in children and increase with age and time after infection

Carolyn A. Cohen, Athena P. Y. Li, Asmaa Hachim and 13 more

Nature Communications · 2021 · CC BY

doi:10.1101/2021.02.02.21250988

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 infection of children leads to a mild illness and the immunological differences with adults are unclear. Here, we report SARS-CoV-2 specific T cell responses in infected adults and children and find that the acute and memory CD4 + T cell responses to structural SARS-CoV-2 proteins increase with age, whereas CD8 + T cell responses increase with time post-infection. Infected children have lower CD4 + and CD8 + T cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 structural and ORF1ab proteins when compared with infected adults, comparable T cell polyfunctionality and reduced CD4 + T cell effector memory. Compared with adults, children have lower levels of antibodies to β-coronaviruses, indicating differing baseline immunity. Total T follicular helper responses are increased, whilst monocyte numbers are reduced, indicating rapid adaptive co-ordination of the T and B cell responses and differing levels of inflammation. Therefore, reduced prior β-coronavirus immunity and reduced T cell activation in children might drive milder COVID-19 pathogenesis.

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Cited by papers we hold 3

Safety and immunogenicity of 3 doses of BNT162b2 and CoronaVac in children and adults with inborn errors of immunity · 2022
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T Cells Targeting SARS-CoV-2: By Infection, Vaccination, and Against Future Variants · 2021
Not checked
Children develop robust and sustained cross-reactive spike-specific immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection · 2021
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