TY - JOUR
T1 - Young infants exhibit robust functional antibody responses and restrained IFN-γ production to SARS-CoV-2
AU - Goenka, Anu
AU - Halliday, Alice
AU - Gregorova, Michaela
AU - Milodowski, Emily J
AU - Thomas, Amy
AU - Kavanagh Williamson, Maia
AU - Baum, Holly E
AU - Oliver, Elizabeth H
AU - Long, Anna E
AU - Knezevic, Lea
AU - Gupta, Kapil
AU - Di Bartolo, Natalie D
AU - Berger, Imre
AU - Toye, Ash M
AU - Bernatoniene, Jolanta
AU - Bailey, Mick
AU - Gillespie, Kathleen M
AU - Davidson, Andrew D
AU - Wooldridge, Linda
AU - Rivino, Laura
AU - Finn, Adam H R
PY - 2021/7/20
Y1 - 2021/7/20
N2 - Severe COVID-19 appears rare in children. This is unexpected, especially in young infants, who are vulnerable to severe disease caused by other respiratory viruses. We evaluate convalescent immune responses in 4 infants under 3 months old with confirmed COVID-19 who presented with mild febrile illness, alongside their parents, and adult controls recovered from confirmed COVID-19. Although not statistically significant, compared to seropositive adults, infants have high serum levels of IgG and IgA to SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, with a corresponding functional ability to block SARS-CoV-2 cellular entry. Infants also exhibit robust saliva anti-spike IgG and IgA responses. Spike-specific IFN-γ production by infant peripheral blood mononuclear cells appears restrained, but the frequency of spike-specific IFN-γ- and/or TNF-α-producing T cells is comparable between infants and adults. On principal-component analysis, infant immune responses appear distinct from their parents. Robust functional antibody responses alongside restrained IFN-γ production may help protect infants from severe COVID-19.
AB - Severe COVID-19 appears rare in children. This is unexpected, especially in young infants, who are vulnerable to severe disease caused by other respiratory viruses. We evaluate convalescent immune responses in 4 infants under 3 months old with confirmed COVID-19 who presented with mild febrile illness, alongside their parents, and adult controls recovered from confirmed COVID-19. Although not statistically significant, compared to seropositive adults, infants have high serum levels of IgG and IgA to SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, with a corresponding functional ability to block SARS-CoV-2 cellular entry. Infants also exhibit robust saliva anti-spike IgG and IgA responses. Spike-specific IFN-γ production by infant peripheral blood mononuclear cells appears restrained, but the frequency of spike-specific IFN-γ- and/or TNF-α-producing T cells is comparable between infants and adults. On principal-component analysis, infant immune responses appear distinct from their parents. Robust functional antibody responses alongside restrained IFN-γ production may help protect infants from severe COVID-19.
KW - infant
KW - COVID-19
KW - immunity
KW - antibody
KW - T cell
U2 - 10.1016/j.xcrm.2021.100327
DO - 10.1016/j.xcrm.2021.100327
M3 - Article (Academic Journal)
C2 - 34124701
VL - 2
JO - Cell Reports Medicine
JF - Cell Reports Medicine
IS - 7
M1 - 100327
ER -