UK
Reuters staff
LONDON (Reuters) – High levels of so-called “T cells” reacting to the coronavirus may be enough to protect against infection, an English study said on Tuesday, adding evidence that they would play a crucial role in covid immunity. -19.
T cells, a type of white blood cell that is part of a healthy immune system, are thought to be essential for protection against SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infection, and may provide longer-lasting immunity than antibodies.
A study of nearly 1,000,000 people conducted by Oxford Immunotech and Public Health England (PHE) found that none of the participants who responded to the high T cell had a therapeutic SARS-Co-2 infection when the researchers followed them.
It compares 20 confirmed infections in participants who saw a low T cell response.
“This suggests that individuals with a higher number of T-cells recognizing SARS-COV-2 may have a slightly lower level of protection from COVID-19, although more research is needed to confirm this,” said David Walley, a microbiologist and consultant at Public Health England Was.
The study was pre-printed, and the review was not published in a journal or peer.
The researchers suggested that the importance of T cells in the immune response could mean serological testing to detect antibodies, which would not give a complete picture of who is at risk of infection in the population.
They also said that the level of SARS-COVID-2 responsive T cells decreased with age, especially in the absence of antibodies, probably explaining why older people are at higher risk than COVID-19.
Cell Xford Immunotech, which is designed to measure T cell response, has been listed by the UK to provide testing to assess candidates for various coronavirus vaccines.
