Immune defects associated with lower SARS-CoV-2 BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine response in aged people
Joana Vitallé, … , Mohammed Rafii-El-Idrissi Benhnia, Ezequiel Ruiz-Mateos
Joana Vitallé, … , Mohammed Rafii-El-Idrissi Benhnia, Ezequiel Ruiz-Mateos
Published August 9, 2022
Citation Information: JCI Insight. 2022;7(17):e161045. https://doi.org/10.1172/jci.insight.161045.
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Research Article Immunology Vaccines

Immune defects associated with lower SARS-CoV-2 BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine response in aged people

Abstract

The immune factors associated with impaired SARS-CoV-2 vaccine response in elderly people are mostly unknown. We studied individuals older than 60 and younger than 60 years, who had been vaccinated with SARS-CoV-2 BNT162b2 mRNA, before and after the first and second dose. Aging was associated with a lower anti–RBD IgG levels and a decreased magnitude and polyfunctionality of SARS-CoV-2–specific T cell response. The dramatic decrease in thymic function in people > 60 years, which fueled alteration in T cell homeostasis, and their lower CD161+ T cell levels were associated with decreased T cell response 2 months after vaccination. Additionally, deficient DC homing, activation, and TLR-mediated function, along with a proinflammatory functional profile in monocytes, were observed in the > 60-year-old group, which was also related to lower specific T cell response after vaccination. These findings might be relevant for the improvement of the current vaccination strategies and for the development of new vaccine prototypes.

Authors

Joana Vitallé, Alberto Pérez-Gómez, Francisco José Ostos, Carmen Gasca-Capote, María Reyes Jiménez-León, Sara Bachiller, Inmaculada Rivas-Jeremías, Maria del Mar Silva-Sánchez, Anabel M. Ruiz-Mateos, María Ángeles Martín-Sánchez, Luis Fernando López-Cortes, Mohammed Rafii-El-Idrissi Benhnia, Ezequiel Ruiz-Mateos

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Figure 8

Higher monocyte-mediated proinflammatory profile found in aged people is associated with a lower T cell response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.

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Higher monocyte-mediated proinflammatory profile found in aged people is...
(A) Bar graphs representing the percentage of classical, intermediate, and nonclassical monocytes in > 60-year-old (red) and < 60-year-old (blue) participants before SARS-CoV-2 vaccination (PRE), 3 weeks after the first dose (1D), and 2 months after the second dose (2D) of vaccination (right). Pseudocolor plots showing representative data of a > 60-year-old and < 60-year-old participant 2 months after the second dose (left). (B) Box-and-whisker plots (min to max) representing the percentage of IL-6+, IL-1α+, and TNF-α+ monocytes upon TLR-4 stimulation in > 60-year-old (red) and < 60-year-old (blue) participants at the 3 time points (bottom). Contour plots showing representative data of the percentage of cytokine+ monocytes from a > 60-year-old and < 60-year-old subject 2 months after the second dose (top). (C) Bar graphs showing the percentage of cytokine (IL-6, IL1-α, and TNF-α) producing monocytes on individuals with a cytotoxic SARS-CoV-2 S–specific T cell response and the ones with a negative response. The percentage of specific PRF+ T cells higher than 0.01 was considered as a positive cytotoxic T cell response. Mann-Whitney U and Wilcoxon tests were used (n = 26). Friedman test was applied in B, (IL-6: > 60-year-old, P = 0.223, and < 60-year-old, P = 0.368; IL-1α: > 60-year-old, P = 1.00, and < 60-year-old, P = 0.368; TNF-α: > 60-year-old, P = 0.223, and < 60-year-old, P = 0.368).