ORIGINAL RESEARCH

The impact of tuberculosis on the development of immune response to SARS-CoV-2

Shepelkova GS, Chernyh NA, Kosiakova VK, Sadovnikova SS, Ergeshov A, Yeremeev VV
About authors

Central Tuberculosis Research Institute, Moscow, Russia

Correspondence should be addressed: Galina S. Shepelkova
Yauza alley, 2, Moscow, 107564, Russia; ur.irtc@avoklepehs.g

About paper

Funding: research project FURE-2022-0010.

Author contribution: Shepelkova GS — planning the experiments and experimental procedure, analysis of the results, manuscript writing; Chernyh NA — selection of patients for inclusion in the study, primary data analysis; Kosiakova VK — experimental procedure, primary data analysis; Sadovnikova SS — selection of patients for inclusion in the study; Ergeshov A — study design; Yeremeev VV — study design, analysis of the results, manuscript writing.

Compliance with ethical standards: the study was conducted as part of the research project FURE-2022-0010 of the Central Tuberculosis Research Institute and approved by the Ethics Committee of the Central Tuberculosis Research Institute (protocol No. 13/1 dated 28 December 2021). All the patients included in the study submitted the informed consent before enrollment.

Received: 2024-04-03 Accepted: 2024-05-17 Published online: 2024-06-17
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Given the fact, that adaptive immune response is important for control and elimination of viral infections causing human diseases, estimation of adaptive response to SARS-CoV-2 is extremely important. The neutralizing antibodies and CD4+/CD8+ T cells contribute to the SARS-CoV-2 control. Tuberculosis remains the leading cause of mortality among bacterial infections all over the world. Currently, treatment of tuberculosis is complicated by the COVID-19 co-infection. The aim of the study was to investigate the formation of neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and CD4+ and CD8+ T cells specific for SARS-CoV-2 in patients with pulmonary TB. The levels of neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and the amount of T cells specific for SARS-CoV-2 were estimated at two time points (3 and 6 months after COVID-19) in patients diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis (69 individuals: 33 females and 36 males aged 18–70 years). Patients without tuberculosis (35 individuals: 25 females and 10 males aged 18–70 years) who had undergone COVID-19 served as the control group. The study showed equal levels of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies in both groups 3 months after COVID-19. The levels of antibodies decreased 6 months after COVID-19 compared to the levels reported 3 months after the disease in both groups. The antibody levels were significantly lower in the group of patients with TB (p = 0.01). The amount of SARS-CoV-2 specific T cells was lower in TB patients 6 months after COVID-19 (p < 0.001) compared to the control group. Thus, TB co-infection reduces the specific immune response to SARS-CoV-2 6 months after COVID-19.

Keywords: tuberculosis, IgG, COVID-19, immunologic memory, CD4+ T lymphocytes

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