Differences in B-Cell Immunophenotypes and Neutralizing Antibodies Against SARS-CoV-2 After Administration of BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) Vaccine in Individuals with and without Prior COVID-19 - A Prospective Cohort Study

José Javier Morales-Núñez; Mariel García-Chagollán; José Francisco Muñoz-Valle; Saúl Alberto Díaz-Pérez; Paola Carolina Torres-Hernández; Saraí Citlalic Rodríguez-Reyes; Guillermo Santoscoy-Ascencio; José Julio Sierra García de Quevedo; Jorge Hernández-Bello

doi:10.2147/JIR.S374304

Differences in B-Cell Immunophenotypes and Neutralizing Antibodies Against SARS-CoV-2 After Administration of BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) Vaccine in Individuals with and without Prior COVID-19 - A Prospective Cohort Study

J Inflamm Res. 2022 Aug 4:15:4449-4466. doi: 10.2147/JIR.S374304. eCollection 2022.

Authors

José Javier Morales-Núñez¹, Mariel García-Chagollán¹, José Francisco Muñoz-Valle¹, Saúl Alberto Díaz-Pérez¹, Paola Carolina Torres-Hernández², Saraí Citlalic Rodríguez-Reyes³, Guillermo Santoscoy-Ascencio⁴, José Julio Sierra García de Quevedo⁴, Jorge Hernández-Bello¹

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Research in Biomedical Sciences, University Center of Health Sciences (CUCS), University of Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.
² Immunology Laboratory, University Center of Health Sciences (CUCS), University of Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.
³ Institute of Translational Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics, University Center of Health Sciences (CUCS), University of Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.
⁴ Unidad de Patología Clinica (UPC), Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.

Abstract

Purpose: Understanding the humoral immune response dynamics carried out by B cells in COVID-19 vaccination is little explored; therefore, we analyze the changes induced in the different cellular subpopulations of B cells after vaccination with BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech).

Methods: This prospective cohort study evaluated thirty-nine immunized health workers (22 with prior COVID-19 and 17 without prior COVID-19) and ten subjects not vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 (control group). B cell subpopulations (transitional, mature, naïve, memory, plasmablasts, early plasmablast, and double-negative B cells) and neutralizing antibody levels were analyzed and quantified by flow cytometry and ELISA, respectively.

Results: The dynamics of the B cells subpopulations after vaccination showed the following pattern: the percentage of transitional B cells was higher in the prior COVID-19 group (p < 0.05), whereas virgin B cells were more prevalent in the group without prior COVID-19 (p < 0.05), mature B cells predominated in both vaccinated groups (p < 0.01), and memory B cells, plasmablasts, early plasmablasts, and double-negative B cells were higher in the not vaccinated group (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: BNT162b2 vaccine induces changes in B cell subpopulations, especially generating plasma cells and producing neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. However, the previous infection with SARS-CoV-2 does not significantly alter the dynamics of these subpopulations but induces more rapid and optimal antibody production.

Keywords: B cell; BNT162b2; SARS-CoV-2; immunophenotype; vaccine.

Grants and funding

This research was funded by the Fondo Sectorial de Investigación para la Educación SEP-CONACYT, Ciencia Básica 2017–2018 (grant number A1-S-11688), and by the “Concurrencias Financieras para la Investigación y Atención de la Vinculación” program of the University of Guadalajara (grant number 260761).