Longitudinal analysis of memory Tfh cells and antibody response following CoronaVac vaccination
Pengcheng Zhou, … , Xiaojie Lu, Fang Gong
Pengcheng Zhou, … , Xiaojie Lu, Fang Gong
Published June 29, 2023
Citation Information: JCI Insight. 2023;8(15):e168437. https://doi.org/10.1172/jci.insight.168437.
View: Text | PDF
Research Article COVID-19 Infectious disease

Longitudinal analysis of memory Tfh cells and antibody response following CoronaVac vaccination

Abstract

The inactivated vaccine CoronaVac is one of the most widely used COVID-19 vaccines globally. However, the longitudinal evolution of the immune response induced by CoronaVac remains elusive compared with other vaccine platforms. Here, we recruited 88 healthy individuals who received 3 doses of CoronaVac vaccine. We longitudinally evaluated their polyclonal and antigen-specific CD4+ T cells and neutralizing antibody response after receiving each dose of vaccine for over 300 days. Both the second and third doses of vaccine induced robust spike-specific neutralizing antibodies, with a third vaccine further increasing the overall magnitude of antibody response and neutralization against Omicron sublineages B.1.1.529, BA.2, BA.4/BA.5, and BA.2.75.2. Spike-specific CD4+ T cells and circulating T follicular helper (cTfh) cells were markedly increased by the second and third dose of CoronaVac vaccine, accompanied by altered composition of functional cTfh cell subsets with distinct effector and memory potential. Additionally, cTfh cells were positively correlated with neutralizing antibody titers. Our results suggest that CoronaVac vaccine–induced spike-specific T cells are capable of supporting humoral immunity for long-term immune protection.

Authors

Pengcheng Zhou, Cheng Cao, Tuo Ji, Ting Zheng, Yaping Dai, Min Liu, Junfeng Jiang, Daoqi Sun, Zhonghu Bai, Xiaojie Lu, Fang Gong

×

Figure 4

Characterization of polyclonal peripheral CD4+ T cells.

Options: View larger image (or click on image) Download as PowerPoint
Characterization of polyclonal peripheral CD4+ T cells. PBMCs collected ...
PBMCs collected from vaccinated donors (n = 63) at 5 time points (T1–T5) were analyzed by 24-color flow cytometry. (A) Representative FACS plots of CD4+ T cell memory subsets and CD4+ naive T cells defined by CD45RA and CCR7. (B) Statistical analysis of the frequency of polyclonal effector memory (EM), central memory (CM), and naive CD4+ T cells at 5 time points. (C) Composition of polyclonal EM, CM, and naive CD4+ T cells from vaccinated individuals at 5 time points. Data are the same as in B. (D) Statistical analysis of the frequency of polyclonal cTfh cells at 5 time points. (E) Representative FACS diagrams of cTfh subsets grouped by CCR6 and CXCR3 at T1, T2, T3, and T5. (F) Longitudinal frequencies of polyclonal cTfh1, cTfh2, and cTfh17 cells measured by flow cytometry at 5 time points. (G) The proportion of cTfh1, cTfh2, cTfh17, and cTfh1–17 cells in polyclonal cTfh cells at 5 time points. Data are the same as in F. (H) Representative FACS plots of cTfh-EM and cTfh-CM cell subsets gated by PD-1 and CCR7 in cTfh cells at 5 time points. (I) Statistical analysis showing the differences of the frequencies of CCR7hiPD-1– cTfh-CM and CCR7loPD-1+ cTfh-EM cells at 5 time points. (J) The proportion of cTfh-EM and cTfh-CM cells in polyclonal cTfh cells at 5 time points. Data are the same as in I. Each dot represents an individual. Bars represent the mean values with SEM. Statistics were calculated using Wilcoxon’s matched pairs signed ranks test for comparison between time points (B, D, F, and I). *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01; ***P < 0.001; ****P < 0.0001.