Research Center, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Dar Al-Uloom University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Microbiol Spectr. 2022 Feb 23;10(1):e0084521. doi: 10.1128/spectrum.00845-21.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection affects the stimulatory levels of cellular-mediated immunity, which plays an essential role in controlling SARS-CoV-2 infection. In fact, several studies have shown the association of lymphopenia with severe COVID-19 in patients. The aim of this study is to investigate the response of the immune system, including cell-mediated immunity and antibody production, during different stages of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Peripheral blood and serum samples were collected from patients with moderate infection, patients under medication (hospitalized), patients who had recovered, and healthy individuals ( = 80). Flow cytometry analysis was performed on peripheral blood samples to determine the cellular immunity profile of each patient. The data showed a significant reduction in the levels of CD3, CD4, and CD8 T cells and CD45 cells in the moderate and under-medication groups, suggesting lymphopenia in those patients. Also, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was conducted on the serum samples to measure the levels of antibodies, including IgM and IgG, in each patient. The results revealed a significant increase in the levels of IgM in the moderate infection and under-medication patients, thus indicating the production of IgM during the first week of infection. Furthermore, changes in the levels of IgG were significantly detected among recovered patients, indicating therefore a remarkable increase during the recovery stage of SARS-CoV-2 infection and thus a strong humoral-mediated immunity. In summary, the results of this study may help us to understand the main role of the cellular immune responses, including CD3, CD4, and CD8 T cells, against SARS-CoV-2 infection. This understanding might support the development of SARS-CoV-2 treatments and vaccines in the near future. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in late 2019 in China. This virus is a serious threat to people not only in China but also worldwide, where it has been detected in over 222 countries. It has been reported that ∼3.4% of SARS-CoV-2-infected patients have died. The significance of our study relies on the fact that an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and flow cytometry were used to measure the levels of antibodies and cellular immune response, respectively, from clinical samples of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2.
严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒 2（SARS-CoV-2）感染会影响细胞介导的免疫刺激水平，而细胞介导的免疫在控制 SARS-CoV-2 感染方面起着至关重要的作用。事实上，多项研究表明，淋巴细胞减少与 COVID-19 患者的重症有关。本研究旨在探讨免疫系统对 SARS-CoV-2 感染不同阶段的反应，包括细胞介导的免疫和抗体产生。从中度感染的患者、接受药物治疗（住院）的患者、已康复的患者和健康个体（共 80 人）中采集外周血和血清样本。对患者外周血样本进行流式细胞术分析，以确定每位患者的细胞免疫特征。数据显示，中度感染和接受药物治疗的患者组的 CD3、CD4 和 CD8 T 细胞和 CD45 细胞水平显著降低，表明这些患者存在淋巴细胞减少症。此外，对血清样本进行酶联免疫吸附测定（ELISA）以测量每位患者的抗体水平，包括 IgM 和 IgG。结果表明，中度感染和接受药物治疗的患者的 IgM 水平显著升高，表明在感染的第一周内产生了 IgM。此外，在康复患者中还检测到 IgG 水平的显著变化，表明在 SARS-CoV-2 感染的康复阶段 IgG 显著增加，从而产生了强大的体液免疫。总之，本研究的结果可能有助于我们了解细胞免疫反应（包括 CD3、CD4 和 CD8 T 细胞）对 SARS-CoV-2 感染的主要作用。这一认识可能有助于在不久的将来开发 SARS-CoV-2 的治疗方法和疫苗。
严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒 2（SARS-CoV-2）于 2019 年末在中国出现。该病毒不仅对中国，而且对全球范围内的人们都是一个严重的威胁，在全球超过 222 个国家都检测到了该病毒。据报道，约 3.4%的 SARS-CoV-2 感染患者死亡。本研究的意义在于使用酶联免疫吸附测定法和流式细胞术分别从 SARS-CoV-2 感染患者的临床样本中测量了抗体和细胞免疫反应的水平。
