Journal Article Epublish
PubMed: 40065712 DOI: 10.3346/jkms.2025.40.e28
Neutralizing Activity and T-Cell Responses Against Wild Type SARS-CoV-2 Virus and Omicron BA.5 Variant After Ancestral SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Booster Dose in PLWH Receiving ART Based on CD4 T-Cell Count.
J Korean Med Sci 40(9):e28
Authors: Na Young Ha, Ah-Ra Kim, Hyeongseok Jeong, Shinhye Cheon, Cho Rong Park, Jin Ho Choe, Hyo Jung Kim, Jae Won Yoon, Miryoung Kim, Mi Yeong An, Sukyoung Jung, Hyeon Nam Do, Junewoo Lee, Yeon-Sook Kim
Affiliations
- Emerging Infectious Diseases Research Institute, Chungnam National University Hospital, Daejeon, Korea. Translational Immunology Institute, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea.
- Division of Clinical Research for Vaccine, Center for Vaccine Research, Korea National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Cheongju, Korea.
- Emerging Infectious Diseases Research Institute, Chungnam National University Hospital, Daejeon, Korea. Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Chungnam National University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Korea.
- Emerging Infectious Diseases Research Institute, Chungnam National University Hospital, Daejeon, Korea.
- Department of Health Care Policy Research, Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, Sejong, Korea.
- Emerging Infectious Diseases Research Institute, Chungnam National University Hospital, Daejeon, Korea. Translational Immunology Institute, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea. Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Chungnam National University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Korea.
Abstract
BACKGROUND
We evaluated severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2)-specific humoral and cellular responses for up to 6 months after the 3rd dose of ancestral coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination in people living with HIV (PLWH) and healthy controls (HCs) who were not infected with COVID-19.
METHODS
Anti-spike receptor-binding domain IgG (anti-RBD IgG) concentrations using chemiluminescence immunoassay and neutralizing antibodies using focus reduction neutralization test (FRNT) were assessed at 1 week after each dose of vaccination, and 3 and 6 months after the 3rd dose in 62 PLWH and 25 HCs. T-cell responses using intracellular cytokine stain were evaluated at 1 week before, and 1 week and 6 months after the 3rd dose.
RESULTS
At 1 week after the 3rd dose, adequate anti-RBD IgG (> 300 binding antibody unit /mL) was elicited in all PLWH except for one patient with 36 CD4 T-cell count/mm³. The geometric mean titers of 50% FRNT against wild type (WT) and omicron BA.5 strains of SARS-CoV-2 in PLWH with CD4 T-cell count ≥ 500 cells/mm³ (high CD4 recovery, HCDR) were comparable to HC, but they were significantly decreased in PLWH with CD4 T-cell count < 500/mm³ (low CD4 recovery, LCDR). After adjusting for age, gender, viral suppression, and number of preexisting comorbidities, CD4 T-cell counts < 500/mm³ significantly predicted a poor magnitude of neutralizing antibodies against WT, omicron BA.5, and XBB 1.5 strains among PLWH. Multivariable linear regression adjusting for age and gender revealed that LCDR was associated with reduced neutralizing activity ( = 0.017) and interferon-γ-producing T-cell responses ( = 0.049 for CD T-cell; = 0.014 for CD8 T-cell) against WT, and strongly associated with more decreased cross-neutralization against omicron BA.5 strains ( < 0.001).
CONCLUSION
HCDR demonstrated robust humoral and cell-mediated immune responses after a booster dose of ancestral SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, whereas LCDR showed diminished immune responses against WT virus and more impaired cross-neutralization against omicron BA.5 strain.
MeSH
Cells, Coronavirus, Sars-Cov-2, Vaccines, Covid-19 Vaccines, Antibodies, Recycling, Antibodies, Neutralizing, Vaccination, Covid-19, Viruses, Immunity, Cell Count, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Related Coronavirus, T-Lymphocytes