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Distinct T cell functional profiles in SARS-CoV-2 seropositive and seronegative children associated with endemic human coronavirus cross-reactivity

Benede, N. S. B.; Tincho, M. B.; Walters, A.; Subbiah, V.; Ngomti, A.; Baguma, R.; Butters, C.; Mennen, M.; Skelem, S.; Adriaanse, M.; van Graan, S.; Balla, S. R.; Moyo-Gwete, T.; Moore, P. L.; Botha, M.; Workman, L.; Zar, H. J.; Ntusi, N. A. B.; Zühlke, L.; Webb, K.; Riou, C.; Burgers, W. A.; Keeton, R. S.

2023-05-23 infectious diseases
10.1101/2023.05.16.23290059 medRxiv
Show abstract

SARS-CoV-2 infection in children typically results in asymptomatic or mild disease. There is a paucity of studies on antiviral immunity in African children. We investigated SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell responses in 71 unvaccinated asymptomatic South African children who were seropositive or seronegative for SARS-CoV-2. SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4+ T cell responses were detectable in 83% of seropositive and 60% of seronegative children. Although the magnitude of the CD4+ T cell response did not differ significantly between the two groups, their functional profiles were distinct, with SARS-CoV-2 seropositive children exhibiting a higher proportion of polyfunctional T cells compared to their seronegative counterparts. The frequency of SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4+ T cells in seronegative children was associated with the endemic human coronavirus (HCoV) HKU1 IgG response. Overall, the presence of SARS-CoV-2-responding T cells in seronegative children may result from cross-reactivity to endemic coronaviruses and could contribute to the relative protection from disease observed in SARS-CoV-2-infected children.

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