Vaccine serologic responses among transplant patients associate with COVID-19 infection and T peripheral helper cells

Therapeutically immunosuppressed transplant recipients exhibit attenuated responses to COVID-19 vaccines. To better understand the immune alterations that determined poor vaccine response, we correlated quantities of circulating T and B cell subsets at baseline with longitudinal serologic responses to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination in heart and lung transplant recipients.

Samples at baseline and at approximately 8 and 30 days after each vaccine dose for 22 heart and lung transplant recipients with no history of COVID-19, four heart and lung transplant recipients with prior COVID-19 infection, and 12 healthy controls undergoing vaccination were analyzed. Anti-spike protein receptor binding domain (RBD) IgG and pseudovirus neutralization activity were measured. Proportions of B and T cell subsets at baseline were comprehensively quantitated.

At 8-30 days post vaccination, healthy controls displayed robust anti-RBD IgG responses, whereas heart and lung transplant recipients showed minimally increased responses. A parallel absence of activity was observed in pseudovirus neutralization. In contrast, three of four (75%) transplant recipients with prior COVID-19 infection displayed robust responses at levels comparable to controls. Baseline levels of activated PD-1 ⁺ HLA-DR ⁺ CXCR5 ^- CD4 ⁺ T cells (also known as T peripheral helper [T _PH ] cells) and CD4+ T cells strongly predicted the ability to mount a response.

Immunosuppressed patients have defective vaccine responses but can be induced to generate neutralizing antibodies after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Strong correlations of vaccine responsiveness with baseline T _PH and CD4 ⁺ T cell numbers highlights a role for T helper activity in B cell differentiation into antibody secreting cells during vaccine response.