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Image_2_Low Innate Immunity and Lagged Adaptive Immune Response in the Re-Tested Viral RNA Positivity of a COVID-19 Patient.jpeg

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posted on 2021-07-07, 13:39 authored by Changchun Lai, Xinglong Liu, Qihong Yan, Hualiang Lv, Lei Zhou, Longbo Hu, Yong Cai, Guoqiang Wang, Yufeng Chen, Renjie Chai, Zhenwei Liu, Yuhua Xu, Wendong Huang, Fei Xiao, Linhui Hu, Yaocai Li, Jianhong Huang, Qiang Zhou, Luqian Li, Tao Peng, Haiye Zhang, Zhenhui Zhang, Ling Chen, Chunbo Chen, Tianxing Ji

Recent studies have highlighted observations regarding re-tested positivity (RP) of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in discharged COVID-19 patients, however, the immune mechanisms underlying SARS-CoV-2 RNA RP in immunocompetent patients remain elusive. Herein, we describe the case of an immunocompetent COVID-19 patient with moderate symptoms who was twice re-tested as positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA, and the period between first and third viral RNA positivity was 95 days, longer than previously reported (18–25 days). The chest computed tomography findings, plasma anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody, neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) titer, and whole blood transcriptic characteristics in the viral RNA RP patient and other COVID-19 patients were analyzed. During the SARS-CoV-2 RNA RP period, new lung lesions were observed. The COVID-19 patient with viral RNA RP had delayed seroconversion of anti-spike/receptor-binding domain (RBD) IgA antibody and NAbs and were accompanied with disappearance of the lung lesions. Further experimental data validated that NAbs titer was significantly associated with anti-RBD IgA and IgG, and anti-spike IgG. The RP patient had lower interferon-, T cells- and B cell-related genes expression than non-RP patients with mild-to-moderate symptoms, and displayed lower cytokines and chemokines gene expression than severe patients. Interestingly, the RP patient had low expression of antigen presentation-related genes and low B cell counts which might have contributed to the delayed anti-RBD specific antibody and low CD8+ cell response. Collectively, delayed antigen presentation-related gene expression was found related to delayed adaptive immune response and contributed to the SARS-CoV-2 RNA RP in this described immunocompetent patient.

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