Persistent Maintenance of Intermediate Memory B Cells Following SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Vaccination Recall Response

• Published in: Journal of virology Vol. 96; no. 15; p. e0076022
• Main Authors: Pušnik, Jernej, König, Julia, Mai, Karola, Richter, Enrico, Zorn, Jasmin, Proksch, Hannah, Schulte, Bianca, Alter, Galit, Streeck, Hendrik
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 1752 N St., N.W., Washington, DC American Society for Microbiology 10.08.2022
• Subjects: Pathogenesis and Immunity; Virology; antibody; neutralization; immunity; memory B cells; spike; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; recovered; CD4+ T cell; immunization; longevity; longitudinal; kinetics; vaccination
• ISSN: 0022-538X; 1098-5514
• DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00760-22

Robust population-wide immunity will help to curb the SARS-CoV-2 pandemics. To maintain the immunity at protective levels, the quality and persistence of the immune response elicited by infection or vaccination must be determined. We analyzed the dynamics of B cell response during 12 months following SARS-CoV-2 infection on an individual level. In contrast to antibodies, memory B cells specific for the spike (S) protein persisted at high levels throughout the period. These cells efficiently secreted neutralizing antibodies and correlated with IFN-γ-secreting CD4+ T cells. Interestingly, the CD27−CD21+ intermediate memory B cell phenotype was associated with high B cell receptor avidity and the production of neutralizing antibodies. Vaccination of previously infected individuals triggered a recall response enhancing neutralizing antibody and memory B cell levels. Collectively, our findings provide a detailed insight into the longevity of SARS-CoV-2-infection-induced B cell immunity and highlight the importance of vaccination among previously infected. IMPORTANCE To efficiently maintain immunity against SARS-CoV-2 infection, we must first determine the durability of the immune response following infection or vaccination. Here, we demonstrated that, unlike antibodies, virus-specific memory B cells persist at high levels for at least 12 months postinfection and successfully respond to a secondary antigen challenge. Furthermore, we demonstrated that vaccination of previously infected individuals significantly boosters B cell immunity.