Predominance of CD137+ And TNF-α Expressing CD8+ Central Memory T Cells in Mild COVID-19 Recovered Patients Upon SARS-CoV-2 Re-Exposure.

Introduction: Memory CD8⁺ T cells are essential for long-term immune protection in viral infections, including COVID-19.

Methods: This study examined the responses of CD8⁺ TEM, TEMRA, and TCM subsets from unvaccinated individuals who had recovered from mild and severe COVID-19 by flow cytometry.

Results and discussion: The peptides triggered a higher frequency of CD8⁺ TCM cells in the recovered mild group. CD8⁺ TCM and TEM cells showed heterogeneity in CD137 expression between evaluated groups. In addition, a predominance of CD137 expression in naïve CD8⁺ T cells, TCM, and TEM was observed in the mild recovered group when stimulated with peptides. Furthermore, CD8⁺ TCM and TEM cell subsets from mild recovered volunteers had higher TNF-α expression. In contrast, the expression partner of IFN-γ, IL-10, and IL-17 indicated an antiviral signature by CD8⁺ TEMRA cells. These findings underscore the distinct functional capabilities of each memory T cell subset in individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 upon re-exposure to SARS-CoV-2 antigens.