Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40573938›Full record

ArticleVaccines2025

Ethnic Comparisons of Spike-Specific CD4+ T Cells, Serological Responses, and Neutralizing Antibody Titers Against SARS-CoV-2 Variants.

Fani Pantouli, Vanessa Silva-Moraes, Ted M Ross

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Vaccines, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
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0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

3 authors.

Fani PantouliFlorida Research and Innovation Center, Cleveland Clinic, 9801 SW Discovery Way, Port Saint Lucie, FL 34987, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-1767-7248
Vanessa Silva-MoraesFlorida Research and Innovation Center, Cleveland Clinic, 9801 SW Discovery Way, Port Saint Lucie, FL 34987, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-2991-7210
Ted M RossFlorida Research and Innovation Center, Cleveland Clinic, 9801 SW Discovery Way, Port Saint Lucie, FL 34987, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-1947-7469

Funding

Implementing a Maternal health and PRegnancy Outcomes Vision for Everyone (IMPROVE)UL1TR002378 · NCATS · EMORY UNIVERSITY · PI Andres J Garcia, Elizabeth O. Ofili · 2017 to 2026
$92.1M
COVID Supplement - COMPONENT A OF THE COLLABORATIVE INFLUENZA VACCINE INNOVATION CENTERS (CIVICS) PROGRAM TO DESIGN AND EVALUATE INNOVATIVE INFLUENZA VACCINE APPROACHES,75N93019C00052 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA · PI ROSS, TED · 2019 to 2025
$74.6M
Georgia Research Alliance GRA-001NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR002378NIAID NIH HHS 75N93019C00052
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND/

objectivesTo evaluate how immune responses compare among ethnic groups approximately 2 years after receiving a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine (BNT162b2, mRNA-1273, ChAdOx1or BBIBP-CorV), we tested T cell responses and Spike-specific RBD-antibody titer, and neutralized antibody titer levels utilizing Spectral Flow cytometry, ELISA, and SARS-CoV-2 pseudotyped-based neutralization assays, respectively.

methodsForty-four individuals from January-December 2023 were identified within the cohort and were classified into different ethnic backgrounds; Black (N = 13), Asian (N = 14), Caucasian (N = 17). We recognize that the "Asian" group includes diverse subpopulations with distinct genetic and environmental backgrounds, which could not be further stratified due to sample-size limitations. Spike-specific AIM+, CD4+, and CD8+ T cell responses were assessed and evaluated against SARS-CoV-2 variants, including the ancestral Wuhan, Delta, and multiple Omicron subvariants (B1.1529, BA2.86, BA.4/5, and XBB.1). Alongside we tested the RBD-IgG and neutralizing antibody titers against the ancestral Wuhan. Spearman's correlation analysis was utilized to determine corelative relationships among the AIM+ and CD4+ T cell responses, as well as the RBD-IgG and neutralizing antibody titers.

resultsOur results show robust and comparable RBD-IgG and neutralizing antibody titers across all groups, with a significant positive correlation between these two measurements. Significant differences were observed in T-cell activation, with Asian participants exhibiting lower frequencies of Spike-specific CD4+ T cells against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants and higher frequencies of cytokine-producing CD4+ T cells (TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IL-2) as compared to the Caucasian group. Breakthrough infection status was not fully controlled and may influence these findings.

conclusionDespite a small sample size and potential confounding by natural infections within our long-time-span sampling, our data suggest persistent cellular and humoral immunity 2 years after vaccination across ethnicities, with notable differences in T cell activation and cytokine profile. These preliminary observations highlight the need for larger, more detailed studies that consider intra-ethnic diversity and hybrid immunity to better understand ethnic differences in COVID-19 vaccine responses.

Indexed as

activation markersAIM+ CD4+ and CD8+ T cellsCOVID-19cytokinesethnicitymemory cellsneutralizing antibody titersRBD-IgG antibody titersSARS-CoV-2 variantsspike

Identifiers

PMID40573938
PMCPMC12197605

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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.