Persistent symptoms after COVID-19 are not associated with differential SARS-CoV-2 antibody or T cell immunity

Daniel M. Altmann; Catherine J. Reynolds; George Joy; Ashley D. Otter; Joseph M. Gibbons; Corinna Pade; Leo Swadling; Mala K. Maini; Tim Brooks; Amanda Semper; Áine McKnight; Mahdad Noursadeghi; Charlotte Manisty; Thomas A. Treibel; James C. Moon; Rosemary J. Boyton

doi:10.1038/s41467-023-40460-1

Persistent symptoms after COVID-19 are not associated with differential SARS-CoV-2 antibody or T cell immunity

Daniel M. Altmann^*, Catherine J. Reynolds, George Joy, Ashley D. Otter, Joseph M. Gibbons, Corinna Pade, Leo Swadling, Mala K. Maini, Tim Brooks, Amanda Semper, Áine McKnight, Mahdad Noursadeghi, Charlotte Manisty, Thomas A. Treibel, James C. Moon, Rosemary J. Boyton^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

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

16 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Among the unknowns in decoding the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 persistent symptoms in Long Covid is whether there is a contributory role of abnormal immunity during acute infection. It has been proposed that Long Covid is a consequence of either an excessive or inadequate initial immune response. Here, we analyze SARS-CoV-2 humoral and cellular immunity in 86 healthcare workers with laboratory confirmed mild or asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection during the first wave. Symptom questionnaires allow stratification into those with persistent symptoms and those without for comparison. During the period up to 18-weeks post-infection, we observe no difference in antibody responses to spike RBD or nucleoprotein, virus neutralization, or T cell responses. Also, there is no difference in the profile of antibody waning. Analysis at 1-year, after two vaccine doses, comparing those with persistent symptoms to those without, again shows similar SARS-CoV-2 immunity. Thus, quantitative differences in these measured parameters of SARS-CoV-2 adaptive immunity following mild or asymptomatic acute infection are unlikely to have contributed to Long Covid causality. ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04318314).

Original language	English
Article number	5139
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	14
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-40460-1
Publication status	Published - Dec 2023

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Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, Springer Nature Limited.

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Altmann, D. M., Reynolds, C. J., Joy, G., Otter, A. D., Gibbons, J. M., Pade, C., Swadling, L., Maini, M. K., Brooks, T., Semper, A., McKnight, Á., Noursadeghi, M., Manisty, C., Treibel, T. A., Moon, J. C., & Boyton, R. J. (2023). Persistent symptoms after COVID-19 are not associated with differential SARS-CoV-2 antibody or T cell immunity. Nature Communications, 14(1), Article 5139. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-40460-1

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title = "Persistent symptoms after COVID-19 are not associated with differential SARS-CoV-2 antibody or T cell immunity",

abstract = "Among the unknowns in decoding the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 persistent symptoms in Long Covid is whether there is a contributory role of abnormal immunity during acute infection. It has been proposed that Long Covid is a consequence of either an excessive or inadequate initial immune response. Here, we analyze SARS-CoV-2 humoral and cellular immunity in 86 healthcare workers with laboratory confirmed mild or asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection during the first wave. Symptom questionnaires allow stratification into those with persistent symptoms and those without for comparison. During the period up to 18-weeks post-infection, we observe no difference in antibody responses to spike RBD or nucleoprotein, virus neutralization, or T cell responses. Also, there is no difference in the profile of antibody waning. Analysis at 1-year, after two vaccine doses, comparing those with persistent symptoms to those without, again shows similar SARS-CoV-2 immunity. Thus, quantitative differences in these measured parameters of SARS-CoV-2 adaptive immunity following mild or asymptomatic acute infection are unlikely to have contributed to Long Covid causality. ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04318314).",

author = "Altmann, {Daniel M.} and Reynolds, {Catherine J.} and George Joy and Otter, {Ashley D.} and Gibbons, {Joseph M.} and Corinna Pade and Leo Swadling and Maini, {Mala K.} and Tim Brooks and Amanda Semper and {\'A}ine McKnight and Mahdad Noursadeghi and Charlotte Manisty and Treibel, {Thomas A.} and Moon, {James C.} and Boyton, {Rosemary J.}",

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Altmann, DM, Reynolds, CJ, Joy, G, Otter, AD, Gibbons, JM, Pade, C, Swadling, L, Maini, MK, Brooks, T , Semper, A, McKnight, Á, Noursadeghi, M, Manisty, C, Treibel, TA, Moon, JC & Boyton, RJ 2023, 'Persistent symptoms after COVID-19 are not associated with differential SARS-CoV-2 antibody or T cell immunity', Nature Communications, vol. 14, no. 1, 5139. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-40460-1

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AU - Pade, Corinna

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AU - Brooks, Tim

AU - Semper, Amanda

AU - McKnight, Áine

AU - Noursadeghi, Mahdad

AU - Manisty, Charlotte

AU - Treibel, Thomas A.

AU - Moon, James C.

AU - Boyton, Rosemary J.

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N2 - Among the unknowns in decoding the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 persistent symptoms in Long Covid is whether there is a contributory role of abnormal immunity during acute infection. It has been proposed that Long Covid is a consequence of either an excessive or inadequate initial immune response. Here, we analyze SARS-CoV-2 humoral and cellular immunity in 86 healthcare workers with laboratory confirmed mild or asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection during the first wave. Symptom questionnaires allow stratification into those with persistent symptoms and those without for comparison. During the period up to 18-weeks post-infection, we observe no difference in antibody responses to spike RBD or nucleoprotein, virus neutralization, or T cell responses. Also, there is no difference in the profile of antibody waning. Analysis at 1-year, after two vaccine doses, comparing those with persistent symptoms to those without, again shows similar SARS-CoV-2 immunity. Thus, quantitative differences in these measured parameters of SARS-CoV-2 adaptive immunity following mild or asymptomatic acute infection are unlikely to have contributed to Long Covid causality. ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04318314).

AB - Among the unknowns in decoding the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 persistent symptoms in Long Covid is whether there is a contributory role of abnormal immunity during acute infection. It has been proposed that Long Covid is a consequence of either an excessive or inadequate initial immune response. Here, we analyze SARS-CoV-2 humoral and cellular immunity in 86 healthcare workers with laboratory confirmed mild or asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection during the first wave. Symptom questionnaires allow stratification into those with persistent symptoms and those without for comparison. During the period up to 18-weeks post-infection, we observe no difference in antibody responses to spike RBD or nucleoprotein, virus neutralization, or T cell responses. Also, there is no difference in the profile of antibody waning. Analysis at 1-year, after two vaccine doses, comparing those with persistent symptoms to those without, again shows similar SARS-CoV-2 immunity. Thus, quantitative differences in these measured parameters of SARS-CoV-2 adaptive immunity following mild or asymptomatic acute infection are unlikely to have contributed to Long Covid causality. ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04318314).

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Persistent symptoms after COVID-19 are not associated with differential SARS-CoV-2 antibody or T cell immunity

Abstract

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