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

Abstract

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.