Robust T Cell Response Toward Spike, Membrane, and Nucleocapsid SARS-CoV-2 Proteins Is Not Associated with Recovery in Critical COVID-19 Patients
Constantin J. Thieme, Moritz Anft, Krystallenia Paniskaki, Arturo Blazquez‐Navarro, Adrian Doevelaar, Felix S. Seibert, Bodo Hoelzer, Margarethe Konik, Marc Moritz Berger, Thorsten Brenner, Clemens Tempfer, Carsten Watzl, Toni Luise Meister, Stephanie Pfaender, Eike Steinmann, Sebastian Dolff, Ulf Dittmer, Timm H. Westhoff, Oliver Witzke, Ulrik Stervbo, Toralf Roch, Nina Babel
Abstract
T cells, suggesting its relevance for diagnosis and vaccination. The T cell response of critical COVID-19 patients is robust and comparable or even superior to non-critical patients. Virus clearance and COVID-19 survival are not associated with either SARS-CoV-2 T cell kinetics or magnitude of T cell responses, respectively. Thus, our data do not support the hypothesis of insufficient SARS-CoV-2-reactive immunity in critical COVID-19. Conversely, it indicates that activation of differentiated memory effector T cells could cause hyperreactivity and immunopathogenesis in critical patients.