Robust T Cell Immunity in Convalescent Individuals with Asymptomatic or Mild COVID-19

RIVERA-BALLESTEROS, OLGA; OLSSON, ANNIKA; BOGDANOVIC, GORDANA; KAMMANN, TOBIAS; FOLKESSON, ELIN; HENTER, JAN-INGE; ALBERT, JAN; GREDMARK-RUSS, SARA; PRICE, DAVID A.; BUGGERT, MARCUS; SEKINE, TAKUYA; STRÅLIN, KRISTOFFER; LLEWELLYN-LACEY, SIAN; MUSCHIOL, SANDRA; EMGÅRD, JOHANNA; ROOYACKERS, OLAV; SÖNNERBORG, ANDERS; NIELSEN, MORTEN; BJÖRKSTRÖM, NIKLAS K.; LJUNGGREN, HANS-GUSTAF; PEREZ-POTTI, ANDRÉ; GORIN, JEAN-BAPTISTE; KAMAL, HABIBA; WULLIMANN, DAVID J.; PARROT, TIPHAINE; ERIKSSON, LARS I.; ALLANDER, TOBIAS; KLINGSTRÖM, JONAS; SANDBERG, JOHAN K.; ALEMAN, SOO

CELL

CELL PRESS

Año: 2020 vol. 183 p. 158 - 168

0092-8674

SARS-CoV-2-specific memory T cells will likely prove critical for long-term immune protection against COVID-19. Here, we systematically mapped the functional and phenotypic landscape of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell responses in unexposed individuals, exposed family members, and individuals with acute or convalescent COVID-19. Acute-phase SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells displayed a highly activated cytotoxic phenotype that correlated with various clinical markers of disease severity, whereas convalescent-phase SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells were polyfunctional and displayed a stem-like memory phenotype. Importantly, SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells were detectable in antibody-seronegative exposed family members and convalescent individuals with a history of asymptomatic and mild COVID-19. Our collective dataset shows that SARS-CoV-2 elicits broadly directed and functionally replete memory T cell responses, suggesting that natural exposure or infection may prevent recurrent episodes of severe COVID-19.