This study aims to gain more insight in the immunological characteristics and immune response on a local level (the nose) and systemic level (the blood) of healthy people vaccinated with the current available COVID-19 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA; BNT162b2) and viral vector based (ChAdOx1) vaccines.
The immunological assays that will be performed on blood include immunophenotyping, serologic testing and cytokine analysis. Deep characterization of patients' immune profile offers a unique opportunity for comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms behind severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) vaccination. The investigators will study immunological functions on the level of both adaptive and innate immunity by performing extensive immunophenotyping, cytokine analysis and RNA sequencing analysis. Biomarker analysis will be performed on protein and on RNA single cell level. Infectivity of different cell types including macrophages will performed. These analyses will be performed at the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Cure Research Center (HCRC) laboratory. Nasal fluid: The investigators will compare the immune response and immunoglobulin production in nasal secretions before and after SARS-CoV2 vaccination. The investigators aim to compare the local versus the systemic (blood/serum) response to SARS-CoV2 vaccination. Further, patients that had a proven SARS-CoV2 infection will be compared with patients that never had COVID-19 symptoms nor antibodies. Questionnaire: a questionnaire will be filled in by the individual to assess if the individual went through a previous SARS-CoV2 infection and experienced symptoms post vaccination. The questionnaires are available as supplementary documents.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
218
Blood and nasal fluid sampling take place just before the first COVID-19 vaccination and at 14-30 days after the second dose with the same vaccine. Sampling will be repeated at 6 months after the second vaccination, at 14-30 days after the third vaccination and at 6 months after the third vaccination. At all moments, a questionnaire is filled in.
University Hospital Ghent
Ghent, East Flanders, Belgium
Change in SARS-CoV-2 neutralization antibody levels.
In vitro qualitative determination of SARS-CoV-2 neutralization antibody in nasal secretions and serum.
Time frame: Nasal secretions and serum will be collected just before the first vaccination (T1: pre-vaccination) and between 14 and 30 days after the second vaccination (T2: post-vaccination)
Change in tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) levels.
Quantitative measurement of TNF-α in blood using an immunoassay.
Time frame: Blood will be collected just before the first vaccination (T1: pre-vaccination) and between 14 and 30 days after the second vaccination (T2: post-vaccination)
Change in interferon gamma (IFN-γ) levels.
Quantitative measurement of IFN-γ in blood using an immunoassay.
Time frame: Blood will be collected just before the first vaccination (T1: pre-vaccination) and between 14 and 30 days after the second vaccination (T2: post-vaccination)
Change in interleukin 2 (IL-2) levels.
Quantitative measurement of IL-2 in blood using an immunoassay.
Time frame: Blood will be collected just before the first vaccination (T1: pre-vaccination) and between 14 and 30 days after the second vaccination (T2: post-vaccination)
Change in interleukin 1 (IL-1) levels.
Quantitative measurement of IL-1 in blood using an immunoassay.
Time frame: Blood will be collected just before the first vaccination (T1: pre-vaccination) and between 14 and 30 days after the second vaccination (T2: post-vaccination)
Change in interleukin 18 (IL-18) levels.
Quantitative measurement of IL-18 in blood using an immunoassay.
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Time frame: Blood will be collected just before the first vaccination (T1: pre-vaccination) and between 14 and 30 days after the second vaccination (T2: post-vaccination)
Change in granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) levels.
Quantitative measurement of GM-CSF in blood using an immunoassay.
Time frame: Blood will be collected just before the first vaccination (T1: pre-vaccination) and between 14 and 30 days after the second vaccination (T2: post-vaccination)
Change of subsets of T cells with markers Cluster of Differentiation 69 (CD69), CD40 ligand (CD40L), CD137.
Quantitative measurement of subsets of COVID-19 specific T cell responses with markers of immune activation using flow cytometry.
Time frame: Blood will be collected just before the first vaccination (T1: pre-vaccination) and between 14 and 30 days after the second vaccination (T2: post-vaccination)
Change of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) binding B cells.
Quantitative measurement of SARS-CoV-2 Spike RBD binding B cells using flow cytometry.
Time frame: Blood will be collected just before the first vaccination (T1: pre-vaccination) and between 14 and 30 days after the second vaccination (T2: post-vaccination)