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Carretero D, Giménez E, Albert E, Colomer E, Montomoli M, Hernani R, Piñana JL, Górriz JL, Solano C, Navarro D. Performance of the Roche Elecsys® IGRA SARS-CoV-2 test for the detection and quantification of virus-reactive T cells in COVID-19-vaccinated immunosuppressed patients and healthy subjects. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2024; 43:1427-1436. [PMID: 38777919 PMCID: PMC11271317 DOI: 10.1007/s10096-024-04852-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Comparing the performance of commercially available SARS-CoV-2 T-cell immunoassay responses may provide useful information for future observational or intervention studies as well as to their potential customers. METHOD Whole blood was collected from a total of 183 subjects fully vaccinated against COVID-19: 55 healthy controls (Group 1), 50 hematological patients (Group 2), 50 chronic kidney disease patients (Group 3), and 28 elderly nursing home residents (Group 4). Samples were tested with the Roche Elecsys® IGRA (Interferon-gamma release assay) SARS-CoV-2 test (Roche Diagnostics, Rotkreuz, Switzerland), the Euroimmun SARS-CoV-2 test (Euroimmun, Lubeck, Germany), the SARS-CoV-2 T Cell Analysis Kit (Miltenyi Biotec, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany), and a flow-cytometry for intracellular cytokine (IFN-γ) staining-based immunoassay (FC-ICS). RESULTS Overall, the Roche Elecsys® assay returned the highest number of positive results (151/179; 84.3%), followed by the Euroimmun test (127/183; 69%), and the FC-ICS (135/179; 75%). The Kappa coefficient of agreement was best between IGRAs (0.64). Most discordant results across assays involved patients from Group 2. Overall, IFN-γ concentrations measured by both IGRAs correlated strongly (rho = 0.78; 95% CI 0.71-0.84; P < 0.001) irrespective of the study group. The frequencies of SARS-CoV-2-reactive IFN-γ T cells and IFN-γ concentrations measured by the IGRAs correlated moderately for CD4+ T cells, however, weakly for CD8+ T cells. SARS-CoV-2-experienced participants displayed stronger responses than SARS-CoV-2-naïve when IGRAs, rather than FC-ICS, were used. CONCLUSION The SARS-CoV-2 immunoassays evaluated in the present study did not return interchangeable qualitative or quantitative results either in seemingly healthy individuals or in immunosuppressed patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Carretero
- Microbiology Service, Clinic University Hospital, INCLIVA Health Research Institute, Valencia, Spain
| | - Estela Giménez
- Microbiology Service, Clinic University Hospital, INCLIVA Health Research Institute, Valencia, Spain
| | - Eliseo Albert
- Microbiology Service, Clinic University Hospital, INCLIVA Health Research Institute, Valencia, Spain
| | - Ester Colomer
- Microbiology Service, Clinic University Hospital, INCLIVA Health Research Institute, Valencia, Spain
| | - Marco Montomoli
- Nephrology Service, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valencia, INCLIVA Health Research Institute, Valencia, Spain
| | - Rafael Hernani
- Hematology Service, Hospital Clínico Universitario, INCLIVA Health Research Institute, Valencia, Spain
| | - José Luis Piñana
- Hematology Service, Hospital Clínico Universitario, INCLIVA Health Research Institute, Valencia, Spain
| | - José Luis Górriz
- Nephrology Service, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valencia, INCLIVA Health Research Institute, Valencia, Spain
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Carlos Solano
- Hematology Service, Hospital Clínico Universitario, INCLIVA Health Research Institute, Valencia, Spain
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - David Navarro
- Microbiology Service, Clinic University Hospital, INCLIVA Health Research Institute, Valencia, Spain.
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
- Microbiology Service, Hospital Clínico Universitario, Instituto de Investigación INCLIVA, Av. Blasco Ibáñez 17, 46010, Valencia, Spain.
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Mak WA, Visser W, Koeleman JGM, Ong DSY. SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell responses: a comparative analysis between QuantiFERON SARS-CoV-2, T-SPOT.COVID, and an in-house Omicron ELISpot. J Virol Methods 2024; 327:114949. [PMID: 38710307 DOI: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2024.114949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND T cell immunity plays a pivotal role in mitigating the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Therefore, reliable functional T cell assays are required to evaluate severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-specific T cell immunity in specific patient populations. METHODS We recruited a cohort of 23 healthcare workers who received their bivalent Omicron BA.1 / ancestral mRNA booster vaccination or were infected with the Omicron variant at a median of 144 days and 227 days before blood collection, respectively. In this cohort, we compared the performances of two widely utilized commercial SARS-CoV-2 interferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs), i.e., QuantiFERON SARS-CoV-2 and T-SPOT.COVID, and an in-house designed Omicron enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISpot). RESULTS The QuantiFERON SARS-CoV-2 and T-SPOT.COVID assays detected SARS-CoV-2 spike-specific T cells in 34.8 % and 21.7 % of participants, respectively. Moreover, our in-house designed ELISpot that included Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 full-spike peptides detected T cell responses in 47.8 % of participants and was strongly associated with the T-SPOT.COVID. CONCLUSION The evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 T cell immunity using commercially accessible assays may yield disparate outcomes as results from different assays are not directly comparable. A specific Omicron ELISpot should be considered to assess Omicron-specific T cell immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willem A Mak
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, Franciscus Gasthuis & Vlietland, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Wendy Visser
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, Franciscus Gasthuis & Vlietland, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Johannes G M Koeleman
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, Franciscus Gasthuis & Vlietland, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - David S Y Ong
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, Franciscus Gasthuis & Vlietland, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
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3
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Safont G, Villar-Hernández R, Smalchuk D, Stojanovic Z, Marín A, Lacoma A, Pérez-Cano C, López-Martínez A, Molina-Moya B, Solis AJ, Arméstar F, Matllo J, Díaz-Fernández S, Romero I, Casas I, Strecker K, Preyer R, Rosell A, Latorre I, Domínguez J. Measurement of IFN-γ and IL-2 for the assessment of the cellular immunity against SARS-CoV-2. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1137. [PMID: 38212416 PMCID: PMC10784529 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-51505-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The study of specific T-cell responses against SARS-CoV-2 is important for understanding long-term immunity and infection management. The aim of this study was to assess the dual IFN-γ and IL-2 detection, using a SARS-CoV-2 specific fluorescence ELISPOT, in patients undergoing acute disease, during convalescence, and after vaccination. We also evaluated humoral response and compared with T-cells with the aim of correlating both types of responses, and increase the number of specific response detection. Blood samples were drawn from acute COVID-19 patients and convalescent individuals classified according to disease severity; and from unvaccinated and vaccinated uninfected individuals. IgGs against Spike and nucleocapsid, IgMs against nucleocapsid, and neutralizing antibodies were also analyzed. Our results show that IFN-γ in combination with IL-2 increases response detection in acute and convalescent individuals (p = 0.023). In addition, IFN-γ detection can be a useful biomarker for monitoring severe acute patients, as our results indicate that those individuals with a poor outcome have lower levels of this cytokine. In some cases, the lack of cellular immunity is compensated by antibodies, confirming the role of both types of immune responses in infection, and confirming that their dual detection can increase the number of specific response detections. In summary, IFN-γ/IL-2 dual detection is promising for characterizing and assessing the immunization status, and helping in the patient management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillem Safont
- Institut d'Investigació Germans Trias i Pujol, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Departament de Genètica i Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Raquel Villar-Hernández
- Institut d'Investigació Germans Trias i Pujol, Barcelona, Spain
- Genome Identification Diagnostics GmbH (GenID), Straßberg, Germany
| | - Daria Smalchuk
- Institut d'Investigació Germans Trias i Pujol, Barcelona, Spain
- Odesa I. I. Mechnykov National University, Odesa, Ukraine
| | - Zoran Stojanovic
- CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Departament de Genètica i Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Pulmonology Department, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Alicia Marín
- CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Departament de Genètica i Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Pulmonology Department, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Alicia Lacoma
- Institut d'Investigació Germans Trias i Pujol, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Departament de Genètica i Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cristina Pérez-Cano
- Basic Unit for the Prevention of Occupational Risks (UBP), Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Anabel López-Martínez
- Basic Unit for the Prevention of Occupational Risks (UBP), Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Bárbara Molina-Moya
- Institut d'Investigació Germans Trias i Pujol, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Departament de Genètica i Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alan Jhunior Solis
- CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Departament de Genètica i Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Pulmonology Department, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Fernando Arméstar
- Intensive Care Medicine Department, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias I Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Joan Matllo
- Basic Unit for the Prevention of Occupational Risks (UBP), Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Sergio Díaz-Fernández
- Institut d'Investigació Germans Trias i Pujol, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Departament de Genètica i Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Iris Romero
- Institut d'Investigació Germans Trias i Pujol, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Departament de Genètica i Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Irma Casas
- Departament de Genètica i Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Preventive Medicine Department, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Kevin Strecker
- Genome Identification Diagnostics GmbH (GenID), Straßberg, Germany
| | - Rosemarie Preyer
- Genome Identification Diagnostics GmbH (GenID), Straßberg, Germany
| | - Antoni Rosell
- CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Departament de Genètica i Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Pulmonology Department, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Irene Latorre
- Institut d'Investigació Germans Trias i Pujol, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Departament de Genètica i Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jose Domínguez
- Institut d'Investigació Germans Trias i Pujol, Barcelona, Spain.
- CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
- Departament de Genètica i Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
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Hornsby H, Nicols AR, Longet S, Liu C, Tomic A, Angyal A, Kronsteiner B, Tyerman JK, Tipton T, Zhang P, Gallis M, Supasa P, Selvaraj M, Abraham P, Neale I, Ali M, Barratt NA, Nell JM, Gustafsson L, Strickland S, Grouneva I, Rostron T, Moore SC, Hering LM, Dobson SL, Bibi S, Mongkolsapaya J, Lambe T, Wootton D, Hall V, Hopkins S, Dong T, Barnes E, Screaton G, Richter A, Turtle L, Rowland-Jones SL, Carroll M, Duncan CJA, Klenerman P, Dunachie SJ, Payne RP, de Silva TI. Omicron infection following vaccination enhances a broad spectrum of immune responses dependent on infection history. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5065. [PMID: 37604803 PMCID: PMC10442364 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40592-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Pronounced immune escape by the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant has resulted in many individuals possessing hybrid immunity, generated through a combination of vaccination and infection. Concerns have been raised that omicron breakthrough infections in triple-vaccinated individuals result in poor induction of omicron-specific immunity, and that prior SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with immune dampening. Taking a broad and comprehensive approach, we characterize mucosal and blood immunity to spike and non-spike antigens following BA.1/BA.2 infections in triple mRNA-vaccinated individuals, with and without prior SARS-CoV-2 infection. We find that most individuals increase BA.1/BA.2/BA.5-specific neutralizing antibodies following infection, but confirm that the magnitude of increase and post-omicron titres are higher in the infection-naive. In contrast, significant increases in nasal responses, including neutralizing activity against BA.5 spike, are seen regardless of infection history. Spike-specific T cells increase only in infection-naive vaccinees; however, post-omicron T cell responses are significantly higher in the previously-infected, who display a maximally induced response with a highly cytotoxic CD8+ phenotype following their 3rd mRNA vaccine dose. Responses to non-spike antigens increase significantly regardless of prior infection status. These findings suggest that hybrid immunity induced by omicron breakthrough infections is characterized by significant immune enhancement that can help protect against future omicron variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hailey Hornsby
- Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Alexander R Nicols
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Immunity, and Inflammation Theme, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK
| | - Stephanie Longet
- Pandemic Sciences Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Chang Liu
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Adriana Tomic
- National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Adrienn Angyal
- Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Barbara Kronsteiner
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, Nuffield Dept. of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- NDM Centre For Global Health Research, Nuffield Dept. of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jessica K Tyerman
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Immunity, and Inflammation Theme, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK
| | - Tom Tipton
- Pandemic Sciences Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Peijun Zhang
- Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Marta Gallis
- Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Piyada Supasa
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Muneeswaran Selvaraj
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Priyanka Abraham
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, Nuffield Dept. of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- NDM Centre For Global Health Research, Nuffield Dept. of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Isabel Neale
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, Nuffield Dept. of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- NDM Centre For Global Health Research, Nuffield Dept. of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Mohammad Ali
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, Nuffield Dept. of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- NDM Centre For Global Health Research, Nuffield Dept. of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Natalie A Barratt
- Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Jeremy M Nell
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Immunity, and Inflammation Theme, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK
- Department of Infection and Tropical Medicine, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Lotta Gustafsson
- Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK
| | - Scarlett Strickland
- Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK
| | - Irina Grouneva
- Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Timothy Rostron
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Shona C Moore
- NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Luisa M Hering
- NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Susan L Dobson
- NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Sagida Bibi
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Juthathip Mongkolsapaya
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Chinese Academy of Medical Science (CAMS) Oxford Institute (COI), University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Teresa Lambe
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Chinese Academy of Medical Science (CAMS) Oxford Institute (COI), University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Dan Wootton
- NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Victoria Hall
- UK Health Security Agency, London, UK
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Susan Hopkins
- UK Health Security Agency, London, UK
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, UK
- NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infection and Antimicrobial Resistance, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Tao Dong
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Chinese Academy of Medical Science (CAMS) Oxford Institute (COI), University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Eleanor Barnes
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford NIHR Biomedical Research Centre and Oxford University NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Gavin Screaton
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Chinese Academy of Medical Science (CAMS) Oxford Institute (COI), University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Alex Richter
- Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Science, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
| | - Lance Turtle
- NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- Tropical & Infectious Disease Unit, Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (member of Liverpool Health Partners), Liverpool, UK
| | - Sarah L Rowland-Jones
- Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK
| | - Miles Carroll
- Pandemic Sciences Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Christopher J A Duncan
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Immunity, and Inflammation Theme, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK
- Department of Infection and Tropical Medicine, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Paul Klenerman
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, Nuffield Dept. of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Oxford NIHR Biomedical Research Centre and Oxford University NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK.
- Translational Gastroenterology Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Susanna J Dunachie
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, Nuffield Dept. of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- NDM Centre For Global Health Research, Nuffield Dept. of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford NIHR Biomedical Research Centre and Oxford University NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Rebecca P Payne
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Immunity, and Inflammation Theme, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK
| | - Thushan I de Silva
- Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
- Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK.
- Vaccines and Immunity Theme, Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Banjul, The Gambia.
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5
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Johnson SA, Phillips E, Adele S, Longet S, Malone T, Mason C, Stafford L, Jamsen A, Gardiner S, Deeks A, Neo J, Blurton EJ, White J, Ali M, Kronsteiner B, Wilson JD, Skelly DT, Jeffery K, Conlon CP, Goulder P, Consortium PITCH, Carroll M, Barnes E, Klenerman P, Dunachie SJ. Evaluation of QuantiFERON SARS-CoV-2 interferon-γ release assay following SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination. Clin Exp Immunol 2023; 212:249-261. [PMID: 36807499 PMCID: PMC10243914 DOI: 10.1093/cei/uxad027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
T cells are important in preventing severe disease from SARS-CoV-2, but scalable and field-adaptable alternatives to expert T-cell assays are needed. The interferon-gamma release assay QuantiFERON platform was developed to detect T-cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 from whole blood with relatively basic equipment and flexibility of processing timelines. Forty-eight participants with different infection and vaccination backgrounds were recruited. Whole blood samples were analysed using the QuantiFERON SARS-CoV-2 assay in parallel with the well-established 'Protective Immunity from T Cells in Healthcare workers' (PITCH) ELISpot, which can evaluate spike-specific T-cell responses. The primary aims of this cross-sectional observational cohort study were to establish if the QuantiFERON SARS-Co-V-2 assay could discern differences between specified groups and to assess the sensitivity of the assay compared with the PITCH ELISpot. The QuantiFERON SARS-CoV-2 distinguished acutely infected individuals (12-21 days post positive PCR) from naïve individuals (P < 0.0001) with 100% sensitivity and specificity for SARS-CoV-2 T cells, whilst the PITCH ELISpot had reduced sensitivity (62.5%) for the acute infection group. Sensitivity with QuantiFERON for previous infection was 12.5% (172-444 days post positive test) and was inferior to the PITCH ELISpot (75%). Although the QuantiFERON assay could discern differences between unvaccinated and vaccinated individuals (55-166 days since second vaccination), the latter also had reduced sensitivity (44.4%) compared to the PITCH ELISpot (66.6%). The QuantiFERON SARS-CoV-2 assay showed potential as a T- cell evaluation tool soon after SARS-CoV-2 infection but has lower sensitivity for use in reliable evaluation of vaccination or more distant infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Síle A Johnson
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- University of Oxford Medical School, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust, Derby, UK
| | - Eloise Phillips
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Sandra Adele
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford Centre For Global Health Research, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Stephanie Longet
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Pandemic Sciences Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Tom Malone
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Chris Mason
- University of Oxford Medical School, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Lizzie Stafford
- Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Anni Jamsen
- Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Siobhan Gardiner
- Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Alexandra Deeks
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Janice Neo
- University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust, Derby, UK
| | - Emily J Blurton
- University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust, Derby, UK
| | - Jemima White
- University of Oxford Medical School, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Muhammed Ali
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford Centre For Global Health Research, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Barbara Kronsteiner
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford Centre For Global Health Research, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Joseph D Wilson
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Dónal T Skelly
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Katie Jeffery
- Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Christopher P Conlon
- Oxford Centre For Global Health Research, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Philip Goulder
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - PITCH Consortium
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Miles Carroll
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Pandemic Sciences Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Eleanor Barnes
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Translational Gastroenterology Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Paul Klenerman
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Translational Gastroenterology Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Susanna J Dunachie
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford Centre For Global Health Research, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
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Comparison of Two Commercially Available Interferon-γ Release Assays for T-Cell-Mediated Immunity and Evaluation of Humoral Immunity against SARS-CoV-2 in Healthcare Workers. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:diagnostics13040637. [PMID: 36832126 PMCID: PMC9955378 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13040637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Cellular immunity against SARS-CoV-2 is an important component of the immune response to the virus. At present, two such tests based on interferon-gamma release (interferon-γ release assays, IGRAs) are available-Quan-T-Cell SARS-CoV-2 by EUROIMMUN and T-SPOT.COVID by Oxford Immunotec. In this paper, we compared the results of these two tests in 90 subjects employed at the Public Health Institute Ostrava who had previously undergone COVID-19 infection or were vaccinated against that disease. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first head-to-head comparison of these two tests evaluating T-cell-mediated immunity against SARS-CoV-2. In addition, we also evaluated humoral immunity in the same individuals using the in-house virus neutralization test and IgG ELISA assay. The evaluation yielded similar results for both IGRAs, with Quan-T-Cell appearing to be insignificantly (p = 0.08) more sensitive (all 90 individuals were at least borderline positive) than T-SPOT.COVID (negative results found in five patients). The overall qualitative (presence/absence of immune response) agreement of both tests with virus neutralization test and anti-S IgG was also excellent (close or equal to 100% in all subgroups, with the exception of unvaccinated Omicron convalescents, a large proportion of whom, i.e., four out of six subjects, were IgG negative while at least borderline positive for T-cell-mediated immunity measured by Quan-T). This implies that the evaluation of T-cell-mediated immunity is a more sensitive indicator of immune response than the evaluation of IgG seropositivity. This is true at least for unvaccinated patients with a history of being infected only by the Omicron variant, but also likely for other groups of patients.
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