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Multi-omics analysis of mucosal and systemic immunity to SARS-CoV-2 after birth

Florian Wimmers1, Allison R Burrell2, Yupeng Feng3

  • 1Department of Molecular Medicine, Interfaculty Institute for Biochemistry, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany; DFG Cluster of Excellence 2180 "Image-guided and Functional Instructed Tumor Therapy" (iFIT), University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany; German Consortium for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany.

Cell
|September 30, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Infants develop lasting immunity to SARS-CoV-2, unlike adults. Their robust mucosal and blood immune responses, including high antibody titers, persist for at least 300 days post-infection.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Virology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Infant immunity to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is not well understood.
  • Understanding infant immune responses is crucial for public health strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To longitudinally analyze the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 immunity in infants and young children.
  • To compare immune responses to Omicron and non-Omicron variants in this age group.

Main Methods:

  • Multi-omics analysis of blood and nasal swabs from infants before, during, and after SARS-CoV-2 infection.
  • Longitudinal sampling over up to 300 days.
  • Single-cell multi-omics to analyze gene expression in myeloid cells.

Main Results:

  • Infants exhibited robust and durable antibody titers, with no decay observed up to 300 days.
  • A strong mucosal immune response was characterized by inflammatory cytokines, interferon (IFN) α, and T helper (Th) 17 and neutrophil markers (interleukin [IL]-17, IL-8, and CXCL1).
  • Blood immune responses showed innate cell activation, chemokines, and IFNα, correlating with viral load and interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs).

Conclusions:

  • Infants mount a unique and durable immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection.
  • The findings provide insights into early-life immunity dynamics following viral infections.
  • This study offers a snapshot of infant immunity during the initial weeks and months of life.

Keywords:
SARS-CoV-2durabilityinfantsmucosal immunitymulti-omicsneonatessingle-cell ATAC-seqsingle-cell RNA-seqviral infection

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