Dissemin is shutting down on January 1st, 2025

Published in

MDPI, Vaccines, 2(10), p. 171, 2022

DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10020171

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Overview of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Immune Response Six Months after BNT162b2 mRNA Vaccine

This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

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Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

Background: We have designed a prospective study aiming to monitor the immune response in 178 health care workers six months after BNT162b2 mRNA vaccination. Methods: The humoral immune response of all subjects was evaluated by chemiluminescence (CMIA); in 60 serum samples, a live virus-based neutralization assay was also tested. Moreover, 6 months after vaccination, B- and T-cell subsets from 20 subjects were observed by FACS analysis after restimulation with the trimeric SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein as an antigen, thus mimicking reinfection in vitro. Results: A significant decrease of circulating IgG levels and neutralizing antibodies over time were observed. Moreover, six months after vaccination, a variable T-cell immune response after in vitro antigen stimulation of PBMC was observed. On the contrary, the analysis of B-cell response showed a shift from unswitched to switched memory B-cells and an increase of Th17 cells. Conclusions: Although the variability of the CD4+ and CD8+ immune response and an antibody decline was observed among vaccinated subjects, the increase of switched memory B-cells and Th17 cells, correlating with the presence of neutralizing antibodies, opened the debate on the correct timing of vaccination.