Prior COVID-19 infection linked to robust, accelerated immune response
after first vaccine dose, researchers report

Date:
March 29, 2022
Source:
Temple University Health System
Summary:
Scientists show that responses to the Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 mRNA
vaccine differ significantly in individuals based on whether or not
they were previously infected with SARS-CoV-2. Notably, those who
had COVID before vaccination experienced rapid antibody production
after the first vaccine dose, with little or no increase after the
second dose. The opposite pattern was observed in infection-naive
individuals.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Since March 2020, the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the cause of coronavirus
disease 2019 (COVID-19), has infected more than 460 million people
worldwide. The vast majority of people who recover from infection
demonstrate long-lasting immune memory of the virus. Little is known,
however, about how this immune memory alters responses to SARS-CoV-2
mRNA vaccines, despite possible impacts on public health guidelines
for vaccination.


==========================================================================
Now, in recent research published in the journal JCI Insight,
scientists at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
show that responses to the Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine differ significantly in individuals based on whether or not they were previously infected with SARS-CoV-2. Notably, those who had COVID before vaccination experienced rapid antibody production after the first vaccine dose,
with little or no increase after the second dose. The opposite pattern
was observed in infection-naive individuals.

"Our study shows that the presence of immune memory induced by prior
infection alters the way in which individuals respond to SARS-CoV-2
mRNA vaccination," explained Steven G. Kelsen, MD, Professor in the
Department of Thoracic Medicine and Surgery at the Lewis Katz School
of Medicine, and first author on the new report. "The lack of response
after the second vaccine dose in previously infected individuals is
especially relevant, because it could mean that some people may require
only one dose or could potentially skip the booster shot." Dr. Kelsen
and Temple colleagues carried out the study in health care workers,
some having previously tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection and
others never having been infected. In both groups, the researchers
measured levels of neutralizing antibodies in blood samples taken at
three different time points, including before vaccination and after
each vaccine dose. They also performed qualitative assessment for local reactions and systemic symptoms, such as fever, headache, and fatigue, associated with vaccination.

While levels of neutralizing antibodies reached their maximum in some
people with prior COVID illness after the first vaccine dose, individuals
with no history of infection exhibited massive responses after the second
dose. But those high levels also plummeted quickly, and for the COVID
group, despite the lack of response to a second dose, individuals overall
had longer-lasting immunity. Prior infection, however, was also linked
to more frequent and longer-lasting adverse reactions to the vaccine.

"Previous studies had similarly reported long-lasting immunity and strong immune reactions in COVID patients," Dr. Kelsen said. "We now provide new information on how prior infection interacts with vaccination in terms
of measurable immune response and how individuals react to mRNA vaccines
based on infection history." In future work, Dr. Kelsen and collaborators
plan to modify their neutralizing antibody assay to detect Omicron and
other SARS-CoV-2 variants. "We also are interested in understanding how
long protection from a booster dose of the vaccine lasts," he said.

Other researchers at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine who contributed to
the study include Alan S. Braverman, Department of Thoracic Medicine and Surgery and Department of Anatomy; Mark O. Aksoy, Jacob A. Hayman, Puja
S. Patel, and Charu Rajput, Department of Thoracic Medicine and Surgery; Huaqing Zhao and Susan G. Fisher, Department of Biomedical Education
and Data Science; Michael R. Ruggieri Sr., Department of Anatomy; and
Nina T. Gentile, Department of Emergency Medicine.

The study was supported by Temple University institutional funds.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Temple_University_Health_System. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Steven G. Kelsen, Alan S. Braverman, Mark O. Aksoy, Jacob A. Hayman,
Puja
S. Patel, Charu Rajput, Huaqing Zhao, Susan G. Fisher, Michael R.

Ruggieri, Nina T. Gentile. SARS-CoV-2 BNT162b2 vaccine-induced
humoral response and reactogenicity in individuals with prior
COVID-19 disease.

JCI Insight, 2022; 7 (4) DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.155889 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/03/220329142526.htm

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