Neutralizing Antibody Responses against Five SARS-CoV-2 Variants and T Lymphocyte Change after Vaccine Breakthrough Infections from the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1 Variant in Tianjin, China: A Prospective Study.

Ying Zhang; Jiang Wen QU; Min Na Zheng; Ya Xing Ding; Wei Chen; Shao Dong YE; Xiao Yan LI; Yan Kun LI; Ying Liu; Di Zhu; Can Rui Jin; Lin Wang; Jin Ye Yang; Yu Zhai; Er Qiang Wang; Xing Meng

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Neutralizing Antibody Responses against Five SARS-CoV-2 Variants and T Lymphocyte Change after Vaccine Breakthrough Infections from the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1 Variant in Tianjin, China: A Prospective Study.

Author: Ying ZHANG ¹ ; Jiang Wen QU ¹ ; Min Na ZHENG ^{2
,

3} ; Ya Xing DING ¹ ; Wei CHEN ¹ ; Shao Dong YE ⁴ ; Xiao Yan LI ^{2
,

3} ; Yan Kun LI ¹ ; Ying LIU ¹ ; Di ZHU ¹ ; Can Rui JIN ⁵ ; Lin WANG ⁵ ; Jin Ye YANG ⁵ ; Yu ZHAI ⁵ ; Er Qiang WANG ⁵ ; Xing MENG ⁵
Author Information

1. Tianjin Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Tianjin 300011, China.
2. Tianjin Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Tianjin 300011, China
3. Tianjin Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology of Infectious Disease, Tianjin 300011, China.
4. National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China.
5. Sinovac Biotech Ltd, Beijing 100085, China.
Publication Type:Journal Article
Keywords: COVID-19; Neutralizing antibodies; Omicron BA.1; SARS-CoV-2; T cells
MeSH: Humans; Antibodies, Neutralizing; Prospective Studies; SARS-CoV-2; Breakthrough Infections; COVID-19 Vaccines; COVID-19; T-Lymphocytes; China/epidemiology*; Antibodies, Viral
From: Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2023;36(7):614-624
CountryChina
Language:English
Abstract: OBJECTIVE:To investigate whether Omicron BA.1 breakthrough infection after receiving the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine could create a strong immunity barrier.
METHODS:Blood samples were collected at two different time points from 124 Omicron BA.1 breakthrough infected patients and 124 controls matched for age, gender, and vaccination profile. Live virus-neutralizing antibodies against five SARS-CoV-2 variants, including WT, Gamma, Beta, Delta, and Omicron BA.1, and T-lymphocyte lymphocyte counts in both groups were measured and statistically analyzed.
RESULTS:The neutralizing antibody titers against five different variants of SARS-CoV-2 were significantly increased in the vaccinated population infected with the Omicron BA.1 variant at 3 months after infection, but mainly increased the antibody level against the WT strain, and the antibody against the Omicron strain was the lowest. The neutralizing antibody level decreased rapidly 6 months after infection. The T-lymphocyte cell counts of patients with mild and moderate disease recovered at 3 months and completely returned to the normal state at 6 months.
CONCLUSION:Omicron BA.1 breakthrough infection mainly evoked humoral immune memory in the original strain after vaccination and hardly produced neutralizing antibodies specific to Omicron BA.1. Neutralizing antibodies against the different strains declined rapidly and showed features similar to those of influenza. Thus, T-lymphocytes may play an important role in recovery.