Publication
Preexisting and Post-COVID-19 Immune Responses to SARS-CoV-2 in Patients with Cancer
Journal Paper/Review - May 19, 2021
Bilich Tatjana, Flatz Lukas, Held Stefanie, Brossart Peter, Märklin Melanie, Wagner Philipp, Erne Eva, Klein Reinhild, Rammensee Hans-Georg, Salih Helmut R, Berner Fiamma, Wacker Marcel, Roerden Malte, Maringer Yacine, Nelde Annika, Heitmann Jonas S, Dubbelaar Marissa L, Peter Andreas, Hörber Sebastian, Bauer Jens, Rieth Jonas, Walz Juliane S
Units
PubMed
Doi
Citation
Type
Journal
Publication Date
Issn Electronic
Pages
Brief description/objective
Patients with cancer, in particular patients with hematologic malignancies, are at increased risk for critical illness upon COVID-19. We here assessed antibody as well as CD4 and CD8 T-cell responses in unexposed and SARS-CoV-2-infected patients with cancer to characterize SARS-CoV-2 immunity and to identify immunologic parameters contributing to COVID-19 outcome. Unexposed patients with hematologic malignancies presented with reduced prevalence of preexisting SARS-CoV-2 cross-reactive CD4 T-cell responses and signs of T-cell exhaustion compared with patients with solid tumors and healthy volunteers. Whereas SARS-CoV-2 antibody responses did not differ between patients with COVID-19 and cancer and healthy volunteers, intensity, expandability, and diversity of SARS-CoV-2 T-cell responses were profoundly reduced in patients with cancer, and the latter associated with a severe course of COVID-19. This identifies impaired SARS-CoV-2 T-cell immunity as a potential determinant for dismal outcome of COVID-19 in patients with cancer. SIGNIFICANCE: This first comprehensive analysis of SARS-CoV-2 immune responses in patients with cancer reports on the potential implications of impaired SARS-CoV-2 T-cell responses for understanding pathophysiology and predicting severity of COVID-19, which in turn might allow for the development of therapeutic measures and vaccines for this vulnerable patient population...