Robust T cell immunity in convalescent individuals with asymptomatic or mild COVID-19
Takuya Sekine 13
André Perez-Potti 13
Olga Rivera-Ballesteros 13
Hans-Gustaf Ljunggren 13
Soo Aleman 13
Marcus Buggert 13, 15
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Open AccessPublished:August 14, 2020DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2020.08.017
Summary
SARS-CoV-2-specific memory T cells will likely prove critical for long-term immune protection against COVID-19. We here 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 robust, broad and highly functional memory T cell responses, suggesting that natural exposure or infection may prevent recurrent episodes of severe COVID-19.
