Elucidating the Immune Response to SARS-CoV-2: Natural Infection versus Covaxin/Covishield Vaccination in a South Indian Population

Vanamuthan, Agalaya and Renuka Devi, Arumugam and Nancy, Arul and Selvaraj, Nandhini and Moideen, Kadar and Hissar, Syed and Ranganathan, Uma Devi and Bethunaickan, Ramalingam and Babu, Subash and Kumar, Nathella Pavan (2024) Elucidating the Immune Response to SARS-CoV-2: Natural Infection versus Covaxin/Covishield Vaccination in a South Indian Population. Elucidating the Immune Response to SARS-CoV-2: Natural Infection versus Covaxin/Covishield Vaccination in a South Indian Population, 16(8) (1178). pp. 1-15.

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Abstract

A natural infection or a vaccination can initially prime the immune system to form immunological memory. The immunity engendered by vaccination against COVID-19 versus natural infection with SARS-CoV-2 has not been well studied in the Indian population. In this study, we compared the immunity conferred by COVID-19 vaccines to naturally acquired immunity to SARS-CoV-2 in a South Indian population. We examined binding and neutralizing antibody (NAb) levels against the ancestral and variant lineages and assessed the ex vivo cellular parameters of memory T cells,memory B cells, and monocytes and finally measured the circulating cytokine response. COVID-19vaccination stimulates heightened levels of IgG antibodies against the original strain of SARS-CoV-2,as well as increased binding to the spike protein and neutralizing antibody levels. This enhanced response extends to variant lineages such as B.1.617.2 (Delta, India), B.1.1.529 (Omicron, India),B.1.351 (Beta, South Africa), and B.1.1.7 (Alpha, UK). COVID-19 vaccination differs from SARS-CoV-2 infection by having increased frequencies of classical memory B cells, activated memory B and plasma cells, CD4/CD8 T cells of effector memory, effector cells, stem cell-like memory T cells, and classical and intermediate monocytes and diminished frequencies of CD4/CD8 T cells of central memory and non-classical monocytes in vaccinated individuals in comparison to those with natural infection.Thus, COVID-19 vaccination is characterized by enhanced humoral responses and robust activation of innate and memory T cell responses in comparison to natural infection in a South Indian population

Affiliation:	ICMR-National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis
Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Covaxin; Covishield; SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; T cells; B cells; monocytes and cytokines
Subjects:	Tuberculosis > Laboratory Research > Immunological Tuberculosis
Divisions:	Basic Science Research > Immunology
Depositing User:	Mrs. N Lakshmi
Date Deposited:	26 Jul 2024 15:41
Last Modified:	26 Jul 2024 15:41
URI:	http://eprints.nirt.res.in/id/eprint/2006

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