A whole blood test to measure SARS-CoV-2-specific response in COVID-19 patients

Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Ltd..

OBJECTIVES: To examine whether specific T-cell-responses to SARS-CoV-2 peptides can be detected in COVID-19 using a whole-blood experimental setting, which may be further explored as a potential diagnostic tool.

METHODS: We evaluated interferon (IFN)-γ levels after stimulating whole-blood with spike and remainder-antigens peptides megapools (MP) derived from SARS-CoV-2 sequences; interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-1RA, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-9, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-13, IL-15, IL-17A, eotaxin, basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF), granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), IFN-γ, Interferon gamma-induced protein 10 (IP-10), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1α, MIP-1β, Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), RANTES (regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were also evaluated.

RESULTS: IFN-γ-response to spike and remainder-antigens MPs was significantly increased in 35 COVID-19 patients compared with 29 'no COVID-19' individuals (medians spike-MP: 0.26 vs 0, p = 0.0002; medians remainder-antigens-MP: 0.07 vs 0.02; p = 0.02). This response was detected independently of patients' clinical parameters. IFN-γ-response to SARS-CoV-2-unrelated antigens cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B (SEB) was similar in COVID-19 compared with 'no COVID-19' individuals (median CMV: 3.46 vs 5.28, p = 0.16; median SEB: 12.68 vs 15.05; p = 0.1). In response to spike-MPs in COVID-19- compared with 'no COVID-19' -individuals, we found significant higher median of IL-2 (50.08 vs 0, p = 0.0018), IFN-γ (90.16 vs 0, p = 0.01), IL-4 (0.52 vs 0, p = 0.03), IL-13 (0.84 vs 0, p = 0.007) and MCP-1 (4602 vs 359.2, p = 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: Immune response to SARS-CoV-2 peptides in a whole-blood assay is associated with COVID-19 and it is characterized by both Th1 and Th2 profile. This experimental approach may be useful for developing new T-cell based diagnostic tests for disease and vaccine settings.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2021

Erschienen:

2021

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:27

Enthalten in:

Clinical microbiology and infection : the official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases - 27(2021), 2 vom: 01. Feb., Seite 286.e7-286.e13

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Petrone, Linda [VerfasserIn]
Petruccioli, Elisa [VerfasserIn]
Vanini, Valentina [VerfasserIn]
Cuzzi, Gilda [VerfasserIn]
Najafi Fard, Saeid [VerfasserIn]
Alonzi, Tonino [VerfasserIn]
Castilletti, Concetta [VerfasserIn]
Palmieri, Fabrizio [VerfasserIn]
Gualano, Gina [VerfasserIn]
Vittozzi, Pietro [VerfasserIn]
Nicastri, Emanuele [VerfasserIn]
Lepore, Luciana [VerfasserIn]
Antinori, Andrea [VerfasserIn]
Vergori, Alessandra [VerfasserIn]
Caccamo, Nadia [VerfasserIn]
Cantini, Fabrizio [VerfasserIn]
Girardi, Enrico [VerfasserIn]
Ippolito, Giuseppe [VerfasserIn]
Grifoni, Alba [VerfasserIn]
Goletti, Delia [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

82115-62-6
Antigens, Viral
COVID-19
Cytokines
IFN-γ
IFNG protein, human
Immune response
Immunoglobulin G
Interferon-gamma
Journal Article
Multiplex analysis
SARS-CoV-2
Serology response
Specific response
Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus
Spike protein, SARS-CoV-2
T-cell based tests
Whole blood

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 25.02.2021

Date Revised 25.02.2021

published: Print-Electronic

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.1016/j.cmi.2020.09.051

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM316151483