Older Adults Who Maintained a Regular Physical Exercise Routine before the Pandemic Show Better Immune Response to Vaccination for COVID-19

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Jan 20;20(3):1939. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20031939.

Abstract

Background: In this study, we aimed to investigate the specific-antibody response to the COVID-19 vaccination and the immunophenotyping of T cells in older adults who were engaged or not in an exercise training program before the pandemic.

Methods: Ninety-three aged individuals (aged between 60 and 85 years) were separated into 3 groups: practitioners of physical exercise vaccinated with CoronaVac (PE-Co, n = 46), or vaccinated with ChadOx-1 (PE-Ch, n = 23), and non-practitioners vaccinated with ChadOx-1 (NPE-Ch, n = 24). Blood samples were collected before (pre) and 30 days after vaccination with the second vaccine dose.

Results: Higher IgG levels and immunogenicity were found in the PE-Ch and NPE-Ch groups, whereas increased IgA levels were found only in the PE-Ch group post-vaccination. The PE-Co group showed a positive correlation between the IgA and IgG values, and lower IgG levels post-vaccination were associated with age. Significant alterations in the percentage of naive (CD28+CD57-), double-positive (CD28+CD57+), and senescent (CD28-CD57+) CD4+ T and CD8+ T cells were found post-vaccination, particularly in the PE-Ch group.

Conclusions: The volunteers vaccinated with the ChadOx-1 presented not only a better antibody response but also a significant modulation in the percentage of T cell profiles, mainly in the previously exercised group.

Keywords: COVID-19; active lifestyle; antibody; immunosenescence; lymphocyte; vaccine.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Antibodies, Viral
  • CD28 Antigens
  • COVID-19 Vaccines*
  • COVID-19* / prevention & control
  • Exercise
  • Humans
  • Immunity
  • Immunoglobulin A
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Middle Aged
  • Pandemics
  • Vaccination

Substances

  • sinovac COVID-19 vaccine
  • COVID-19 Vaccines
  • CD28 Antigens
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Immunoglobulin A
  • Antibodies, Viral

Grants and funding

This research was funded by São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), grant numbers 2019/14115-0 and 2021/03235-5, and FCT- Foundation for Science and Technology, P.I., grants numbers CEECINST/00077/2021.