Fig. 1: Blunted anti-viral T cell responses in patients with CAD.
a, Experimental design. PBMCs were stimulated with viral protein antigens (1 μg ml−1) for 5 days. b,c, PBMCs were stimulated with SARS-CoV-2 spike and nucleocapsid antigens for 5 days. IFN-γ was quantified in supernatants (b, n = 15). Frequencies of CD4+CD69+CD40L+ T cells were measured in 29 controls and 26 patients. Representative dot plots and summary data are shown (c). d,e, PBMCs were stimulated with EBV glycoprotein 350 for 5 days. IFN-γ concentrations (d) and frequencies of CD4+CD69+CD40L+ T cells (e). Representative dot blots and summary data are presented (n = 16 patients and n = 16 controls). f,g, T cells were primed with viral antigens for 5 days and restimulated with autologous antigen-loaded monocyte-derived Mϕ. IFN-γ release (f, n = 10 patients and controls) and frequencies of CD69+CD40L+ T cells (g, n = 18 patients and n = 19 controls) in response to SARS-CoV-2 antigen-loaded Mϕ. h,i, Antigen-induced IFN-γ release and frequencies of CD69+CD40L+ T cells in response to Mϕ loaded with EBV antigen (n = 16 patients and n = 16 controls). j, Frequencies of CD4+CD38+ human T cells in the spleen of immuno-deficient mice that were reconstituted with patient-derived or control PBMCs and immunized with SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (n = 6 patients and n = 5 controls). k,l, T cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in patients and controls who had completed vaccination with an mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine. IFN-γ secretion and frequencies of antigen-reactive CD69+CD40L+ T cells. Individual data points are displayed. Data in Fig. 1b–j are shown as mean ± s.e.m. Paired or unpaired one-way ANOVA were used to analyze the difference. P values are shown in each panel. CON, control.
