Assessing anti-SARS-CoV-2 cellular immunity in 571 vaccines by using an IFN-γ release assay

Masatoshi Wakui; Yoshifumi Uwamino; Yoko Yatabe; Terumichi Nakagawa; Akiko Sakai; Toshinobu Kurafuji; Ayako Shibata; Yukari Tomita; Masayo Noguchi; Akiko Tanabe; Tomoko Arai; Akemi Ohno; Hiromitsu Yokota; Shunsuke Uno; Wakako Yamasawa; Yasunori Sato; Mari Ikeda; Akihiko Yoshimura; Naoki Hasegawa; Hideyuki Saya; Mitsuru Murata

doi:10.1002/eji.202249794

Assessing anti-SARS-CoV-2 cellular immunity in 571 vaccines by using an IFN-γ release assay

Masatoshi Wakui, Yoshifumi Uwamino, Yoko Yatabe, Terumichi Nakagawa, Akiko Sakai, Toshinobu Kurafuji, Ayako Shibata, Yukari Tomita, Masayo Noguchi, Akiko Tanabe, Tomoko Arai, Akemi Ohno, Hiromitsu Yokota, Shunsuke Uno, Wakako Yamasawa, Yasunori Sato, Mari Ikeda, Akihiko Yoshimura, Naoki Hasegawa, Hideyuki SayaMitsuru Murata

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

9 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Memory T cell responses have been analyzed only in small cohorts of COVID-19 vaccines. Herein, we aimed to assess anti-SARS-CoV-2 cellular immunity in a large cohort using QuantiFERON assays, which are IFN-γ release assays (IGRAs) based on short-term whole blood culture. The study included 571 individuals receiving the viral spike (S) protein-expressing BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine. QuantiFERON assays revealed antigen-specific IFN-γ production in most individuals 8 weeks after the second dose. Simultaneous flow cytometric assays to detect T cells expressing activation-induced markers (AIMs) performed for 28 randomly selected individuals provided data correlating with the QuantiFERON data. Simultaneous IFN-γ enzyme-linked immunospot and AIM assays for another subset of 31 individuals, based on short-term peripheral blood mononuclear cell culture, also indicated a correlation between IFN-γ production and AIM positivity. These observations indicated the acquisition of T cell memory responses and supported the usability of IGRAs to assess cellular immunity. The QuantiFERON results were weakly correlated with serum IgG titers against the receptor-binding domain of the S protein and were associated with pre-vaccination infection and adverse reactions after the second dose. The present study revealed cellular immunity after COVID-19 vaccination, providing insights into the effects and adverse reactions of vaccination.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1961-1971
Number of pages	11
Journal	European Journal of Immunology
Volume	52
Issue number	12
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/eji.202249794
Publication status	Published - 2022 Dec

Keywords

COVID-19 vaccine
IFN-γ
SARS-CoV-2
T cells
humoral immunity

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Immunology and Allergy
Immunology

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1002/eji.202249794

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Wakui, M., Uwamino, Y., Yatabe, Y., Nakagawa, T., Sakai, A., Kurafuji, T., Shibata, A., Tomita, Y., Noguchi, M., Tanabe, A., Arai, T., Ohno, A., Yokota, H., Uno, S., Yamasawa, W., Sato, Y., Ikeda, M., Yoshimura, A., Hasegawa, N., ... Murata, M. (2022). Assessing anti-SARS-CoV-2 cellular immunity in 571 vaccines by using an IFN-γ release assay. European Journal of Immunology, 52(12), 1961-1971. https://doi.org/10.1002/eji.202249794

Wakui, M , Uwamino, Y, Yatabe, Y, Nakagawa, T, Sakai, A, Kurafuji, T, Shibata, A, Tomita, Y, Noguchi, M, Tanabe, A, Arai, T, Ohno, A, Yokota, H, Uno, S , Yamasawa, W , Sato, Y, Ikeda, M, Yoshimura, A, Hasegawa, N, Saya, H & Murata, M 2022, 'Assessing anti-SARS-CoV-2 cellular immunity in 571 vaccines by using an IFN-γ release assay', European Journal of Immunology, vol. 52, no. 12, pp. 1961-1971. https://doi.org/10.1002/eji.202249794

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title = "Assessing anti-SARS-CoV-2 cellular immunity in 571 vaccines by using an IFN-γ release assay",

abstract = "Memory T cell responses have been analyzed only in small cohorts of COVID-19 vaccines. Herein, we aimed to assess anti-SARS-CoV-2 cellular immunity in a large cohort using QuantiFERON assays, which are IFN-γ release assays (IGRAs) based on short-term whole blood culture. The study included 571 individuals receiving the viral spike (S) protein-expressing BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine. QuantiFERON assays revealed antigen-specific IFN-γ production in most individuals 8 weeks after the second dose. Simultaneous flow cytometric assays to detect T cells expressing activation-induced markers (AIMs) performed for 28 randomly selected individuals provided data correlating with the QuantiFERON data. Simultaneous IFN-γ enzyme-linked immunospot and AIM assays for another subset of 31 individuals, based on short-term peripheral blood mononuclear cell culture, also indicated a correlation between IFN-γ production and AIM positivity. These observations indicated the acquisition of T cell memory responses and supported the usability of IGRAs to assess cellular immunity. The QuantiFERON results were weakly correlated with serum IgG titers against the receptor-binding domain of the S protein and were associated with pre-vaccination infection and adverse reactions after the second dose. The present study revealed cellular immunity after COVID-19 vaccination, providing insights into the effects and adverse reactions of vaccination.",

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author = "Masatoshi Wakui and Yoshifumi Uwamino and Yoko Yatabe and Terumichi Nakagawa and Akiko Sakai and Toshinobu Kurafuji and Ayako Shibata and Yukari Tomita and Masayo Noguchi and Akiko Tanabe and Tomoko Arai and Akemi Ohno and Hiromitsu Yokota and Shunsuke Uno and Wakako Yamasawa and Yasunori Sato and Mari Ikeda and Akihiko Yoshimura and Naoki Hasegawa and Hideyuki Saya and Mitsuru Murata",

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AU - Wakui, Masatoshi

AU - Uwamino, Yoshifumi

AU - Yatabe, Yoko

AU - Nakagawa, Terumichi

AU - Sakai, Akiko

AU - Kurafuji, Toshinobu

AU - Shibata, Ayako

AU - Tomita, Yukari

AU - Noguchi, Masayo

AU - Tanabe, Akiko

AU - Arai, Tomoko

AU - Ohno, Akemi

AU - Yokota, Hiromitsu

AU - Uno, Shunsuke

AU - Yamasawa, Wakako

AU - Sato, Yasunori

AU - Ikeda, Mari

AU - Yoshimura, Akihiko

AU - Hasegawa, Naoki

AU - Saya, Hideyuki

AU - Murata, Mitsuru

PY - 2022/12

Y1 - 2022/12

N2 - Memory T cell responses have been analyzed only in small cohorts of COVID-19 vaccines. Herein, we aimed to assess anti-SARS-CoV-2 cellular immunity in a large cohort using QuantiFERON assays, which are IFN-γ release assays (IGRAs) based on short-term whole blood culture. The study included 571 individuals receiving the viral spike (S) protein-expressing BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine. QuantiFERON assays revealed antigen-specific IFN-γ production in most individuals 8 weeks after the second dose. Simultaneous flow cytometric assays to detect T cells expressing activation-induced markers (AIMs) performed for 28 randomly selected individuals provided data correlating with the QuantiFERON data. Simultaneous IFN-γ enzyme-linked immunospot and AIM assays for another subset of 31 individuals, based on short-term peripheral blood mononuclear cell culture, also indicated a correlation between IFN-γ production and AIM positivity. These observations indicated the acquisition of T cell memory responses and supported the usability of IGRAs to assess cellular immunity. The QuantiFERON results were weakly correlated with serum IgG titers against the receptor-binding domain of the S protein and were associated with pre-vaccination infection and adverse reactions after the second dose. The present study revealed cellular immunity after COVID-19 vaccination, providing insights into the effects and adverse reactions of vaccination.

AB - Memory T cell responses have been analyzed only in small cohorts of COVID-19 vaccines. Herein, we aimed to assess anti-SARS-CoV-2 cellular immunity in a large cohort using QuantiFERON assays, which are IFN-γ release assays (IGRAs) based on short-term whole blood culture. The study included 571 individuals receiving the viral spike (S) protein-expressing BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine. QuantiFERON assays revealed antigen-specific IFN-γ production in most individuals 8 weeks after the second dose. Simultaneous flow cytometric assays to detect T cells expressing activation-induced markers (AIMs) performed for 28 randomly selected individuals provided data correlating with the QuantiFERON data. Simultaneous IFN-γ enzyme-linked immunospot and AIM assays for another subset of 31 individuals, based on short-term peripheral blood mononuclear cell culture, also indicated a correlation between IFN-γ production and AIM positivity. These observations indicated the acquisition of T cell memory responses and supported the usability of IGRAs to assess cellular immunity. The QuantiFERON results were weakly correlated with serum IgG titers against the receptor-binding domain of the S protein and were associated with pre-vaccination infection and adverse reactions after the second dose. The present study revealed cellular immunity after COVID-19 vaccination, providing insights into the effects and adverse reactions of vaccination.

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KW - IFN-γ

KW - SARS-CoV-2

KW - T cells

KW - humoral immunity

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Assessing anti-SARS-CoV-2 cellular immunity in 571 vaccines by using an IFN-γ release assay

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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