TRAIL and IP-10 dynamics in pregnant women post COVID-19 vaccination: associations with neutralizing antibody potency

Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2024 Mar 20:14:1358967. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1358967. eCollection 2024.

Abstract

Introduction: The aim of this study is to investigate changes in TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) and gamma interferon-induced protein 10 (IP-10) after COVID-19 vaccination in pregnant women and to explore their association with neutralizing antibody (Nab) inhibition.

Methods: The study evaluated 93 pregnant women who had previously received two (n=21), three (n=55) or four (n=17) doses of COVID-19 vaccine. Also we evaluated maternal blood samples that were collected during childbirth. The levels of TRAIL, IP-10 and Nab inhibition were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA).

Results and discussion: Our study revealed four-dose group resulted in lower TRAIL levels when compared to the two-dose and three-dose groups (4.78 vs. 16.07 vs. 21.61 pg/ml, p = 0.014). The two-dose group had reduced IP-10 levels than the three-dose cohort (111.49 vs. 147.89 pg/ml, p=0.013), with no significant variation compared to the four-dose group. In addition, the four-dose group showed stronger Nab inhibition against specific strains (BA.2 and BA.5) than the three-dose group. A positive correlation was observed between TRAIL and IP-10 in the two-dose group, while this relationship was not found in other dose groups or between TRAIL/IP-10 and Nab inhibition. As the doses of the COVID-19 vaccine increase, the levels of TRAIL and IP-10 generally increase, only by the fourth dose, the group previously vaccinated with AZD1222 showed lower TRAIL but higher IP-10. Despite these changes, more doses of the vaccine consistently reinforced Nab inhibition, apparently without any relation to TRAIL and IP-10 levels. The variation may indicate the induction of immunological memory in vaccinated mothers, which justifies further research in the future.

Keywords: COVID-19 vaccine; IP-10; TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand; TRAIL; interferon gamma-induced protein 10; nab; neutralizing antibody.

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Neutralizing
  • Antibodies, Viral
  • COVID-19 Vaccines
  • COVID-19* / prevention & control
  • ChAdOx1 nCoV-19
  • Chemokine CXCL10
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Interferons*
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnant Women
  • TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand
  • Vaccination

Substances

  • Interferons
  • COVID-19 Vaccines
  • Chemokine CXCL10
  • TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand
  • ChAdOx1 nCoV-19
  • Antibodies, Neutralizing
  • Antibodies, Viral

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This research was funded by Taiwan’s Chang Gung Medical Foundation (CRRPG2L0011, CMRPG2L0261, CMRPGVVL0282 and CMRPVVN0121) for statistics and manuscript preparation, Taiwan’s National Tsing Hua University (112F7MBOE1 and 112Q2301E1) for laboratory study, and Taiwan’s Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital (KMUH111-1M33 and KMUH112-2M32) for participants recruitment and sample collection.