SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine BNT162b2 triggers a consistent cross-variant humoral and cellular response. Issue 1 (1st January 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mileto, D.; Fenizia, C.; Cutrera, M.; Gagliardi, G.; Gigantiello, A.; De Silvestri, A.; Rizzo, A.; Mancon, A.; Bianchi, M.; De Poli, F.; Cuomo, M.; Burgo, I.; Longo, M.; Rimoldi, S. G.; Pagani, C.; Grosso, S.; Micheli, V.; Rizzardini, G.; Grande, R.; Biasin, M.; Gismondo, M. R.; Lombardi, A.
• Is Part Of: Emerging microbes & infections. Volume 10:Issue 1(2021)
• Page Start: 2235
• Page End: 2243
• Publication Date: 2021-01-01
• Subjects: SARS-CoV-2 bnt162b2 mRNA vaccine -- Humoral response -- T-cell mediated respone -- SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern; Medical microbiology -- Periodicals; Communicable diseases -- Periodicals; Infection -- Periodicals; 616.9041
• DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2021.2004866
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2222-1751

Abstract

ABSTRACT: As the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic continues to rage worldwide, the emergence of numerous variants of concern (VOC) represents a challenge for the vaccinal protective efficacy and the reliability of commercially available high-throughput immunoassays. Our study demonstrates the administration of two doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine that elicited a robust SARS-CoV-2-specific immune response which was assessed up to 3 months after full vaccination in a cohort of 37 health care workers (HCWs). SARS-CoV-2-specific antibody response, evaluated by four commercially available chemiluminescence immunoassays (CLIA), was qualitatively consistent with the results provided by the gold-standard in vitro neutralization assay (NTA). However, we could not observe a correlation between the quantity of the antibody detected by CLIA assays and their neutralizing activity tested by NTA. Almost all subjects developed a SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell response. Moreover, vaccinated HCWs developed a similar protective neutralizing antibodies response against the EU (B.1), Alpha (B.1.1.7), Gamma (P.1), and Eta (B.1.525) SARS-CoV-2 variants, while Beta (B.1.351) and Delta (B.1.617.2) strains displayed a consistent partial immune evasion. These results underline the importance of a solid vaccine-elicited immune response and a robust antibody titre. We believe that these relevant results should be taken into consideration in the definition of future vaccinal strategies.