Long-term changes in the phenotype and cytokine production of monocytes in COVID-19 recovered and vaccinated individuals
Ostapchuk Y.O. Lushova A.V. Kan S.A. Abdolla N. Kali A. Tleulieva R. Perfilyeva A.V. Perfilyeva Y.V.
July 2024American Society for Microbiology
Infection and Immunity
2024#92Issue 7
Monocytes play a crucial role in the immune response against pathogens. Here, we sought to determine COVID-19 and the vaccine Gam-COVID-Vac induce long-term changes in the phenotype and cytokine production of circulating monocytes. Monocytes were purified from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of healthy donors who had not had COVID-19 or vaccination, who had received two doses of Gam-COVID-Vac, and who had mild/moderate COVID-19 in the last 6 months and evaluated by flow cytometry. To investigate the effect of SARS-CoV-2 proteins, monocytes were cultured for 2 days with or without stimulation with recombinant SARS-CoV-2 S1 and N peptides. Monocytes obtained from vaccinated and recovered individuals showed increased basal expression of HLA-DR, CD63, CXCR2, and TLR7. We also observed an increased frequency of CD63+ classical monocytes in both groups, as well as an increased frequency of HLA-DR+ non-classical monocytes in the COVID-19-recovered group compared to the control group. Monocytes from vaccinated and recovered donors produced higher basal levels of IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α cytokines. Ex vivo stimulation with SARS-CoV-2 antigens induced increased expression of HLA-DR and TLR7 on monocytes obtained from the control group. The challenge with SARS-CoV-2 antigens had no effect on the production of IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α cytokines by monocytes. The acquired data offer compelling evidence of enduring alterations in both the phenotype and functional status of circulating monocytes subsequent to vaccination with Gam-COVID-Vac and mild/moderate COVID-19 infection. At least some of these changes appear to be a consequence of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 S1 and N antigens.
COVID-19 , cytokines , Gam-COVID-Vac vaccine , monocytes , phenotype , SARS-CoV-2 antigens
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Laboratory of Molecular Immunology and Immunobiotechnology, M.A. Aitkhozhin’s Institute of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Almaty Branch of the National Center for Biotechnology, Almaty, Kazakhstan
ECO-Consulting LLC, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Institute of Genetics and Physiology, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Laboratory of Molecular Immunology and Immunobiotechnology
Almaty Branch of the National Center for Biotechnology
ECO-Consulting LLC
Al-Farabi Kazakh National University
Institute of Genetics and Physiology
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