Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40498720›Full record

ArticlePloS one2025

Detectable SARS-CoV-2 specific immune responses in recovered unvaccinated individuals 250 days post wild type infection.

Nikolas Weigl, Claire Pleimelding, Leonard Gilberg, Duc Huynh, Isabel Brand, Jan Bruger, Jonathan Frese, Tabea M Eser, Mohamed I M Ahmed, Jessica M Guggenbuehl-Noller and 7 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
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

17 authors.

Nikolas WeiglDivision of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine IV, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL).ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0002-1858-6030
Claire PleimeldingDepartment of Infectious Diseases, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0004-8023-1438
Leonard GilbergDepartment of Infectious Diseases, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
Duc HuynhDivision of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine IV, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL).
Isabel BrandDivision of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine IV, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL).
Jan BrugerInstitute of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
Jonathan FreseInstitute of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
Tabea M EserInstitute of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
Mohamed I M AhmedInstitute of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
Jessica M Guggenbuehl-NollerDepartment of Infectious Diseases, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
Renate StirnerDepartment of Infectious Diseases, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
Michael HoelscherInstitute of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
Michael PritschInstitute of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
Christof GeldmacherInstitute of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
Sebastian KoboldDivision of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine IV, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL).
Julia RoiderDepartment of Infectious Diseases, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1347-2838
KoCo19-/ORCHESTRA-study group

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Memory T cells play an important role in mediating long-lasting adaptive immune responses to viral infections, such as SARS-CoV-2. In the context of the latter, much of our current knowledge stems from studies in vaccinated individuals or repeatedly infected individuals. However, limited knowledge is available on these responses in fully naive individuals in German communities. We performed immunophenotyping of a previously naive SARS-CoV-2 cohort in convalescent individuals after asymptomatic to moderate COVID-19. The samples were collected median 250 days post infection during the first wave of the COVID pandemic in Germany (March - May 2020). In this cohort of 174 individuals, we phenotyped different leukocyte cell populations in peripheral blood (B, T and Natural Killer cells). We then assessed the serostatus against the SARS-CoV-2 antigens Nucleocapsid (N) and Spike subunit (S1) with its receptor binding domain (RBD), as these are important correlates of protection, by testing for presence of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies. We also measured IgG antibody responses against the N antigen of the common cold coronaviruses HCoV-OC43, HCoV-HKU1, HCoV-NL63 and HCoV-229E, to determine possible cross-reactivity. In a subset of the cohort (n = 76), we performed intracellular staining assays (ICS) after stimulation with SARS-CoV-2 and HCoV antigens. Key findings are significant differences in frequency of CD4+ memory T cell populations, notably CD4+ TEM and CD4+ TEMRA cells, between the group of SARS-CoV-2 positive individuals and the control group. These differences correlated with cytokine production (TNFα, IFNγ) after stimulation with SARS-CoV-2 peptides, indicating a specific T cell immune response. In conclusion, a clear memory T cell and humoral response can be detected up to 250 days post mild to moderate COVID-19 disease. Our results underline findings reported by others indicating a lasting cellular immune response even in a population which previously had not been exposed to SARS-CoV-2.

Indexed as

COVID-19SARS-CoV-2AdultAgedAntibodies, ViralFemaleGermanyHumansImmunoglobulin GImmunologic MemoryMaleMemory T CellsMiddle AgedSpike Glycoprotein, CoronavirusUnvaccinated PersonsAntibodies, ViralImmunoglobulin GSpike Glycoprotein, Coronavirusspike protein, SARS-CoV-2

Identifiers

PMID40498720
PMCPMC12157120

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.