Humoral and cellular immune responses in fully vaccinated individuals
with or without SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infection: results from the
CoV‑ADAPT cohort
Abstract
Despite recent advances in prophylactic vaccination, SARS-CoV-2
infections continue to cause significant morbidity. A better
understanding of immune response differences between vaccinated
individuals with and without later SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infection is
urgently needed. CoV-ADAPT is a prospective long-term study comparing
humoral (anti-spike-RBD-IgG, neutralization capacity, avidity) and
cellular (spike-induced T-cell interferon-γ release) immune responses in
individuals vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 at four different time points
(three before and one after third vaccination). In this cohort study, 62
fully vaccinated individuals presented with SARS‑CoV-2 breakthrough
infections vs 151 without infection 3-7 months following third
vaccination. Breakthrough infections significantly increased
anti-spike-RBD-IgG (p<0.01), but not spike-directed T-cell
interferon-γ release (TC), antibody neutralization capacity or avidity.
Anti-spike-RBD-IgG and antibody avidity decreased with age
(p<0.01) and females showed higher anti-spike-RBD-IgG
(p<0.01), and a tendency towards higher antibody avidity
(p=0.051). The association between humoral and cellular immune responses
previously reported at various time points was lost in subjects after
breakthrough infections (p=0.807). Finally, a machine-learning approach
based on our large immunological data set (a total of 49 variables) from
different time points was unable to predict breakthrough infections
(AUC: 0.55). In conclusion, distinct differences in humoral vs cellular
immune responses in fully vaccinated individuals with or without
breakthrough infection could be demonstrated. Breakthrough infections
predominantly drive the humoral response without boosting the cellular
component. Breakthrough infections could not be predicted based on
immunological data, which indicates a superior role of environmental
factors (e.g. virus exposure) in individualized risk assessment.