Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40489958›Full record

ArticleImmunoHorizons2025

Imprints of somatic hypermutation on B-cell receptor immunoglobulins post-infection versus post-vaccination against SARS-CoV-2.

Elisavet Vlachonikola, Nikolaos Pechlivanis, Georgios Karakatsoulis, Massimo Degano, Fotis Psomopoulos, Andrea Crisanti, Giovanni Tonon, Paolo Ghia, Kostas Stamatopoulos, Enrico Lavezzo and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in ImmunoHorizons, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. IMGTAntibodies (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Elisavet VlachonikolaInstitute of Applied Biosciences, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, Thessaloniki, Greece.ORCID 0000-0003-4609-9977
Nikolaos PechlivanisInstitute of Applied Biosciences, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Georgios KarakatsoulisInstitute of Applied Biosciences, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Massimo DeganoBiocrystallography Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation, and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS Scientific Institute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy.
Fotis PsomopoulosInstitute of Applied Biosciences, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, Thessaloniki, Greece.ORCID 0000-0002-0222-4273
Andrea CrisantiDepartment of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
Giovanni TononUniversità Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-2973-5038
Paolo GhiaUniversità Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy.
Kostas StamatopoulosInstitute of Applied Biosciences, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Enrico LavezzoDepartment of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
Anastasia ChatzidimitriouInstitute of Applied Biosciences, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, Thessaloniki, Greece.

Funding

European UnionGreece versus Corona Action of the Hellenic Secretariat of Research and InnovationUniversity of Padova and the Department of Molecular Medicine
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Published evidence supports significant heterogeneity of immune responses among individuals infected with or vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2. This highlights the need for in-depth investigation of the implicated processes toward refined understanding and improved management of COVID-19. The main objective of the present study was to investigate the dynamics of B cell responses to SARS-CoV-2, focusing on how initial infection and subsequent vaccination influence the immunoglobulin gene repertoire, with special emphasis on the impact of somatic hypermutation (SHM) on antibody maturation. Samples were collected from 81 individuals infected by SARS-CoV-2 in the municipality of Vo' during the first pandemic wave in 2020. For 25 of them, sampling was repeated 7 d after completing the primary vaccination series. Deep immunogenetic analysis of the B-cell receptor immunoglobulin (BcR IG) gene repertoire was performed using targeted next-generation sequencing. Bioinformatics analysis focused on repertoire metrics, prediction of IG antigen specificity, and detailed profiling of the SHM patterns. Significant expansions of unmutated sequences early post-infection suggest extrafollicular B cell maturation. In contrast, vaccination promoted SHM acquisition, indicating a germinal center-dependent response, and pronounced repertoire renewal. Restricted SHMs in SARS-homologous clonotypes along with preferential targeting of specific codons within the VH domain post-vaccination support ongoing affinity maturation within germinal centers. Differences in the BcR IG profiles post-infection versus post-vaccination allude to distinct trajectories in B cell maturation. Distinct profiles of SHM targeting reflect ongoing affinity maturation post-vaccination, with implications for optimizing preventive and therapeutic interventions against COVID-19.

Indexed as

B-LymphocytesCOVID-19COVID-19 VaccinesReceptors, Antigen, B-CellSARS-CoV-2Somatic Hypermutation, ImmunoglobulinAdultAgedAntibodies, ViralFemaleHigh-Throughput Nucleotide SequencingHumansMaleMiddle AgedVaccinationAntibodies, ViralCOVID-19 VaccinesReceptors, Antigen, B-Celladaptive immunityB-cell receptor gene repertoireCOVID-19somatic hypermutation

Identifiers

PMID40489958
PMCPMC12148301

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.