Skip to main content

This is a preprint.

It has not yet been peer reviewed by a journal.

The National Library of Medicine is running a pilot to include preprints that result from research funded by NIH in PMC and PubMed.

medRxiv logoLink to medRxiv
[Preprint]. 2022 Jan 5:2022.01.04.21268586. [Version 1] doi: 10.1101/2022.01.04.21268586

T cell reactivity to the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant is preserved in most but not all prior infected and vaccinated individuals

Vivek Naranbhai, Anusha Nathan, Clarety Kaseke, Cristhian Berrios, Ashok Khatri, Shawn Choi, Matthew A Getz, Rhoda Tano-Menka, Onosereme Ofoman, Alton Gayton, Fernando Senjobe, Kerri J St Denis, Evan C Lam, Wilfredo F Garcia-Beltran, Alejandro B Balazs, Bruce D Walker, A John Iafrate, Gaurav D Gaiha
PMCID: PMC8750712  PMID: 35018386

ABSTRACT

The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant (B.1.1.529) contains mutations that mediate escape from infection and vaccine-induced antibody responses, although the extent to which these substitutions in spike and non-spike proteins affect T cell recognition is unknown. Here we show that T cell responses in individuals with prior infection, vaccination, both prior infection and vaccination, and boosted vaccination are largely preserved to Omicron spike and non-spike proteins. However, we also identify a subset of individuals (∼21%) with a >50% reduction in T cell reactivity to the Omicron spike. Evaluation of functional CD4 + and CD8 + memory T cell responses confirmed these findings and reveal that reduced recognition to Omicron spike is primarily observed within the CD8 + T cell compartment. Booster vaccination substantially enhanced T cell responses to Omicron spike. In contrast to neutralizing immunity, these findings suggest preservation of T cell responses to the Omicron variant, although with reduced reactivity in some individuals.

Full Text Availability

The license terms selected by the author(s) for this preprint version do not permit archiving in PMC. The full text is available from the preprint server.


Articles from medRxiv are provided here courtesy of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Preprints

RESOURCES