Neuro-PASC is characterized by enhanced CD4+ and diminished CD8+ T cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid protein

Many people with long COVID symptoms suffer from debilitating neurologic post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (Neuro-PASC). Although symptoms of Neuro-PASC are widely documented, it is still unclear whether PASC symptoms impact virus-specific immune responses. Therefore, we examined T cell and antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid protein to identify activation signatures distinguishing Neuro-PASC patients from healthy COVID convalescents.

We report that Neuro-PASC patients exhibit distinct immunological signatures composed of elevated CD4⁺ T cell responses and diminished CD8⁺ memory T cell activation toward the C-terminal region of SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid protein when examined both functionally and using TCR sequencing. CD8⁺ T cell production of IL-6 correlated with increased plasma IL-6 levels as well as heightened severity of neurologic symptoms, including pain. Elevated plasma immunoregulatory and reduced pro-inflammatory and antiviral response signatures were evident in Neuro-PASC patients compared with COVID convalescent controls without lasting symptoms, correlating with worse neurocognitive dysfunction.

We conclude that these data provide new insight into the impact of virus-specific cellular immunity on the pathogenesis of long COVID and pave the way for the rational design of predictive biomarkers and therapeutic interventions.