Evaluation of immune response to vaccines in COVID patients [COVID-19]
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Evaluation of the immune response to vaccines in patients previously infected with COVID-19: COV-VAX-IR
IRAS ID
289548
Contact name
John Bradley
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and University of Cambridge
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 8 months, 30 days
Research summary
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first identified in December 2019. Since that time, it has led to significant morbidity and mortality (nearly 1 million deaths worldwide). While the majority of patients have mild symptoms, around 15% have severe disease with a mortality of 1%. The quantity and quality of the immune response to COVID-19 will determine the initial response to infection, and immune dysfunction is thought to contribute to the development of severe inflammatory disease.
Within the remit of the NIHR-Bioresource, we have studied the immune response in 203 patients and health care workers with COVID-19 over 50 days after infection. We have found that those individuals who have experienced moderate or severe disease, have evidence of persistent immune defects, even after they have been deemed clinically well for discharge from hospital. Strikingly, immune cells called B cells, and antibody components have been found to be suboptimal/reduced and this defect persists when other immune defects have recovered.
We aim to probe further into this apparent immune defect and will assess whether the quality or function of these B cells is impaired following infection with COVID-19. The assessment will be in the way of test immunization with routine vaccines, and in which the interpretation of the immune response to these vaccines is already well established and validated. We will use these vaccines to evaluate those patients who have previously been infected with COVID-19 in order to determine whether infection with COVID-19 results in immunodeficiency and if so, do we need to develop better ways to manage and care for these patients and potentially, set up measures to protect patients in the future who may go on to become infected with COVID-19.
REC name
London - Surrey Borders Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/HRA/5207
Date of REC Opinion
22 Oct 2020
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion