Long-lived effector/central memory T-cell responses to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) S antigen in recovered SARS patients.
The role of cell-mediated immunity in human SARS-CoV infection is still not well understood. In this study, we found that memory T-cell responses against the spike (S) protein were persistent for more than 1 year after SARS-CoV infection by detecting the production of IFN-gamma using ELISA and ELISpot assays. Flow cytometric analysis showed that both CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells were involved in cellular responses against SARS-CoV infection. Interestingly, most of SARS-CoV S-specific memory CD4(+) T cells were central memory cells expressing CD45RO(+) CCR7(+) CD62L(-). However, the majority of memory CD8(+) T cells revealed effector memory phenotype expressing CD45RO(-) CCR7(-) CD62L(-). Thus, our study provides the evidence that SARS-CoV infection in humans can induce cellular immune response that is persistent for a long period of time. These data may have an important implication in the possibility of designing effective vaccine against SARS-CoV infection, specifically in defining T-cell populations that are implicated in protective immunity.
Yang
Li-Tao
LT
Department of Immunology, Zhongshan Medical School, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou 510080, China.
Peng
Hui
H
Zhu
Zhao-Ling
ZL
Li
Gang
G
Huang
Zi-Tong
ZT
Zhao
Zhi-Xin
ZX
Koup
Richard A
RA
Bailer
Robert T
RT
Wu
Chang-You
CY
D000328:Adult; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000276:immunology*; D010455:Peptides / Q000276:immunology; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000276:immunology*; D064370:Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus; D013995:Time; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000276:immunology*
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D007376:Interleukin-2; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D010455:Peptides; D064370:Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C578557:spike glycoprotein, SARS-CoV; C578553:spike protein, mouse hepatitis virus; D007371:Interferon-gamma