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Mele D, Ottolini S, Lombardi A, Conteianni D, Bandera A, Oliviero B, Mantovani S, Cassaniti I, Baldanti F, Gori A, Mondelli MU, Varchetta S. Long-term dynamics of natural killer cells in response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination: Persistently enhanced activity postvaccination. J Med Virol 2024; 96:e29585. [PMID: 38566585 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.29585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Natural Killer (NK) cells play a significant role in the early defense against virus infections and cancer. Recent studies have demonstrated the involvement of NK cells in both the induction and effector phases of vaccine-induced immunity in various contexts. However, their role in shaping immune responses following SARS-CoV-2 vaccination remains poorly understood. To address this matter, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of NK cell phenotype and function in SARS-CoV-2 unexposed individuals who received the BNT162b2 vaccine. We employed a longitudinal study design and utilized a panel of 53 15-mer overlapping peptides covering the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein to assess NK cell function at 0 and 20 days following the first vaccine, and 30 and 240 days following booster. Additionally, we evaluated the levels of total IgG anti-Spike antibodies and their potential neutralizing ability. Our findings revealed an increased NK cell activity upon re-exposure to RBD when combined with IL12 and IL18 several months after booster. Concurrently, we observed that the frequencies of NKG2A + NK cells declined over the course of the follow-up period, while NKG2C increased only in CMV positive subjects. The finding that NK cell functions are inducible 9 months after vaccination upon re-exposure to RBD and cytokines, sheds light on the role of NK cells in contributing to SARS-CoV-2 vaccine-induced immune protection and pave the way to further studies in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dalila Mele
- Division of Clinical Immunology - Infectious Diseases, Department of Research, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
| | - Sabrina Ottolini
- Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Andrea Lombardi
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milano, Milano, Italy
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milano, Italy
| | - Daniela Conteianni
- Division of Clinical Immunology - Infectious Diseases, Department of Research, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
| | - Alessandra Bandera
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milano, Milano, Italy
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milano, Italy
| | - Barbara Oliviero
- Division of Clinical Immunology - Infectious Diseases, Department of Research, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
| | - Stefania Mantovani
- Division of Clinical Immunology - Infectious Diseases, Department of Research, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
| | - Irene Cassaniti
- Department of Microbiology and Virology, Molecular Virology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS, Policlinico S. Matteo, Pavia, Italy
- Department of Clinical, Surgical, Diagnostic, and Pediatric Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Fausto Baldanti
- Department of Microbiology and Virology, Molecular Virology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS, Policlinico S. Matteo, Pavia, Italy
- Department of Clinical, Surgical, Diagnostic, and Pediatric Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Andrea Gori
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Infectious Diseases and Immunopathology, L. Sacco Hospital, Università di Milano, Milan, Italy
- Centre for Multidisciplinary Research in Health Science (MACH), University of Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Mario U Mondelli
- Division of Clinical Immunology - Infectious Diseases, Department of Research, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
- Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Stefania Varchetta
- Division of Clinical Immunology - Infectious Diseases, Department of Research, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
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