Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy.
Research Promotion and Coordination Service, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy.
Biomolecules. 2024 Sep 26;14(10):1217. doi: 10.3390/biom14101217.
COVID-19 remains a significant threat, particularly to vulnerable populations. The emergence of new variants necessitates the development of treatments and vaccines that induce both humoral and cellular immunity. This study aimed to identify potentially immunogenic SARS-CoV-2 peptides and to explore the intricate host-pathogen interactions involving peripheral immune responses, memory profiles, and various demographic, clinical, and lifestyle factors. Using in silico and experimental methods, we identified several CD8-restricted SARS-CoV-2 peptides that are either poorly studied or have previously unreported immunogenicity: fifteen from the Spike and three each from non-structural proteins Nsp1-2-3-16. A Spike peptide, LA-9, demonstrated a 57% response rate in ELISpot assays using PBMCs from 14 HLA-A*02:01 positive, vaccinated, and mild-COVID-19 recovered subjects, indicating its potential for diagnostics, research, and multi-epitope vaccine platforms. We also found that younger individuals, with fewer vaccine doses and longer intervals since infection, showed lower anti-Spike (ELISA) and anti-Wuhan neutralizing antibodies (pseudovirus assay), higher naïve T cells, and lower central memory, effector memory, and CD4hiCD8low T cells (flow cytometry) compared to older subjects. In our cohort, a higher prevalence of Vδ2-γδ and DN T cells, and fewer naïve CD8 T cells, seemed to correlate with strong cellular and lower anti-NP antibody responses and to associate with Omicron infection, absence of confusional state, and habitual sporting activity.
COVID-19 仍然是一个重大威胁,特别是对弱势群体。新变种的出现需要开发既能诱导体液免疫又能诱导细胞免疫的治疗方法和疫苗。本研究旨在鉴定潜在的 SARS-CoV-2 免疫原性肽,并探讨涉及外周免疫反应、记忆特征以及各种人口统计学、临床和生活方式因素的复杂宿主-病原体相互作用。我们使用计算机和实验方法鉴定了一些 CD8 限制的 SARS-CoV-2 肽,这些肽要么研究甚少,要么以前没有报道过免疫原性:来自 Spike 的 15 个,非结构蛋白 Nsp1-2-3-16 的各 3 个。Spike 肽 LA-9 在使用来自 14 名 HLA-A*02:01 阳性、接种疫苗和轻度 COVID-19 康复的个体的 PBMCs 的 ELISpot 测定中显示出 57%的反应率,表明其在诊断、研究和多表位疫苗平台中的潜力。我们还发现,与年龄较大的个体相比,年轻个体、接种疫苗剂量较少且感染后时间间隔较长,其抗-Spike(ELISA)和抗武汉中和抗体(假病毒测定)水平较低,幼稚 T 细胞较高,中央记忆、效应记忆和 CD4hiCD8low T 细胞(流式细胞术)较低。在我们的队列中,Vδ2-γδ 和 DN T 细胞的高流行率和较少的幼稚 CD8 T 细胞似乎与强烈的细胞和较低的抗-NP 抗体反应相关,与奥密克戎感染、无混乱状态和习惯性运动活动相关。
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