Large inter-individual variability of cellular and humoral immunological responses to mRNA-1273 (Moderna) vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 in health care workers
10.7774/cevr.2022.11.1.96
- Author:
Alexander KRÜTTGEN
1
;
Gerhard HAASE
;
Helga HAEFNER
;
Matthias IMÖHL
;
Michael KLEINES
Author Information
1. Laboratory Diagnostic Center, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
- Publication Type:Original Article
- From:Clinical and Experimental Vaccine Research
2022;11(1):96-103
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Purpose:Studies on the immune responses to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 vaccines are necessary to evaluate the ongoing vaccination programs by correlating serological response data and clinical effectiveness data. We performed a longitudinal immunological profiling of health care workers vaccinated with mRNA-1273 (Moderna, Cambridge, MA, USA). Half of these vaccinees had experienced a mild coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection in the spring of 2020 (“COVID-recovered” cohort), whereas the other half of the vaccinees had no previous COVID-19 infection (“COVID-naive” cohort).
Materials and Methods:Serum was drawn at multiple time points and subjected to assays measuring anti-Spike immunoglobulin G (IgG), avidity of anti-Spike IgG, avidity of anti-receptor binding domain (RBD) IgG, virus neutralizing activity, and interferon-γ release from stimulated lymphocytes.
Results:Between both cohorts and within each cohort, we found remarkable inter-individual differences regarding cellular and humoral immune responses to the Moderna mRNA-1273 vaccine.
Conclusion:First, our study indicates that the success of mRNA-1273 vaccinations should be verified by serological assays in order to identify “low-responders” to vaccination. Second, the kinetics of anti-S IgG and neutralizing activity correlate well with clinical effectiveness data, thus explaining incipient protection against infection 2 weeks after the first dose of mRNA-1273 in COVID-naive vaccinees. Third, our IgG-avidity data indicate that this incipient protection is mediated by low-avidity anti-RBD IgG and low-avidity anti-S IgG.
