Pre-existing humoral immunity and CD4+ T cell response correlate with cross-reactivity against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants after heterologous prime-boost vaccination

Ching-Fen Shen; Yi-Chen Fu; Tzong-Shiann Ho; Po-Lin Chen; Nan-Yao Lee; Bo-Yang Tsai; Pei-Jane Tsai; Wen-Chien Ko; Ching-Chuan Liu; Chao-Min Cheng; Chi-Chang Shieh

doi:10.1016/j.clim.2023.109342

Pre-existing humoral immunity and CD4⁺ T cell response correlate with cross-reactivity against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants after heterologous prime-boost vaccination

Clin Immunol. 2023 Jun:251:109342. doi: 10.1016/j.clim.2023.109342. Epub 2023 Apr 24.

Authors

Ching-Fen Shen¹, Yi-Chen Fu², Tzong-Shiann Ho³, Po-Lin Chen⁴, Nan-Yao Lee⁴, Bo-Yang Tsai⁵, Pei-Jane Tsai⁶, Wen-Chien Ko⁴, Ching-Chuan Liu⁷, Chao-Min Cheng⁸, Chi-Chang Shieh⁹

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Pediatrics, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan, ROC.
² Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan, ROC.
³ Department of Pediatrics, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan, ROC; Center of Infectious Disease and Signaling Research, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Pediatrics, Tainan Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Tainan 700007, Taiwan, ROC.
⁴ Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan, ROC.
⁵ Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan, ROC.
⁶ Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan, ROC.
⁷ Department of Pediatrics, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan, ROC; Center of Infectious Disease and Signaling Research, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan, ROC.
⁸ Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan, ROC. Electronic address: chaomin@mx.nthu.edu.tw.
⁹ Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Pediatrics, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan, ROC. Electronic address: cshieh@mail.ncku.edu.tw.

Abstract

Background: Information regarding the heterologous prime-boost COVID vaccination has been fully elucidated. The study aimed to evaluate both humoral, cellular immunity and cross-reactivity against variants after heterologous vaccination.

Methods: We recruited healthcare workers previously primed with Oxford/AstraZeneca ChAdOx1-S vaccines and boosted with Moderna mRNA-1273 vaccine boost to evaluate the immunological response. Assay used: anti-spike RBD antibody, surrogate virus neutralizing antibody and interferon-γ release assay.

Results: All participants exhibited higher humoral and cellular immune response after the booster regardless of prior antibody level, but those with higher antibody level demonstrated stronger booster response, especially against omicron BA.1 and BA.2 variants. The pre-booster IFN-γ release by CD4⁺ T cells correlates with post-booster neutralizing antibody against BA.1 and BA.2 variant after adjustment with age and gender.

Conclusions: A heterologous mRNA boost is highly immunogenic. The pre-existing neutralizing antibody level and CD4⁺ T cells response correlates with post-booster neutralization reactivity against the Omicron variant.

Keywords: Adenovirus vector vaccine; COVID-19 vaccines; Heterologous prime-boost immunization; Neutralizing antibody; T cell response; mRNA vaccine.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

2019-nCoV Vaccine mRNA-1273
Antibodies, Neutralizing
Antibodies, Viral
CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes
COVID-19* / prevention & control
Humans
Immunity, Humoral*
SARS-CoV-2
T-Lymphocytes
Vaccination

Substances

2019-nCoV Vaccine mRNA-1273
Antibodies, Neutralizing
Antibodies, Viral

Supplementary concepts

SARS-CoV-2 variants