The presence of serum anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgA appears to protect primary health care workers from COVID-19.
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Hennings V, Thörn K, Albinsson S, Lingblom C, Andersson K, Andersson C, Järbur K, Pullerits R, Idorn M, Paludan SR, Eriksson K, Wennerås C
Eur J Immunol - (-) - [2022-02-07; online 2022-02-07]
The patterns of humoral and cellular responses to SARS-CoV-2 were studied in Swedish primary health care workers (n = 156) for 6 months during the Covid-19 pandemic. Serum IgA and IgG to SARS-CoV-2, T cell proliferation and cytokine secretion, demographic and clinical data, PCR-verified infection, and self-reported symptoms were monitored. The multivariate method OPLS-DA was used to identify immune response patterns coupled to protection from Covid-19. Contracting Covid-19 was associated with SARS-CoV-2-specific neutralizing serum IgG, T cell, interferon-γ and granzyme B responses to SARS-CoV-2, self-reported typical Covid-19 symptoms, male sex, higher BMI and hypertension. Not contracting Covid-19 was associated with female sex, IgA-dominated or no antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2, airborne allergy, and smoking. The IgG-responders had SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell responses including a cytotoxic CD4+ T cell population expressing CD25, CD38, CD69, CD194, CD279, CTLA-4 and granzyme B. IgA-responders with no IgG response to SARS-CoV-2 constituted 10% of the study population. The IgA responses were partially neutralizing and only seen in individuals who did not succumb to Covid-19. To conclude, serum IgG-dominated responses correlated with T cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 and PCR-confirmed Covid-19, whereas IgA-dominated responses correlated with not contracting the infection. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
PubMed 35128644
DOI 10.1002/eji.202149655
Crossref 10.1002/eji.202149655