A Specific Gene Helps Generate Strong Immune Response After Covid-19 Vaccination: UK Study

Individuals with the gene showed higher antibody responses against the Covid-19 vaccines at 28 days following the first vaccine, the study says. 

A specific gene can help generate a strong immune response following Covid-19 vaccination, a new study led by researchers from University of Oxford says. The gene is associated with high antibody response following vaccination with two commonly used Covid-19 vaccines. The findings were recently published in the journal Nature Medicine. 

Which gene provides a strong immune response after Covid-19 vaccination?

The study found people carrying an allele (two or more alternative forms of a gene found at the same place on a chromosome) of an HLA (human leukocyte antigen) gene. HLA genes play a significant role in disease and immune defence. These genes help the immune system distinguish between proteins made by the body from proteins synthesised by foreign invaders such as viruses and bacteria. The HLA gene which helps generate a strong antibody response in people following Covid-19 vaccination is called HLA-DQB1*06. 

How does the gene benefit the people who have it?

The gene is present in two out of every five people in the United Kingdom, the study says. People carrying this gene were less likely to experience Covid-19 infection following vaccination than those who did not have it. 

In a statement released by Oxford University, the researchers say the study provides some of the first evidence of a relationship between genetic factors and the way people's immune systems respond to Covid-19 vaccines. 

The gene variant can help improve future vaccines

Julian Knight, Chief Investigator of the study, said in the statement that from this study, the researchers have evidence that genetic makeup is one of the reasons why individual humans may differ from each other in their immune response following Covid-19 vaccination. He added that inheriting a specific variant of an HLA gene was associated with higher antibody responses. 

Knight also said that further work is needed to better understand the clinical significance of this specific association, and more broadly what identifying the gene variant can tell researchers about how effective immune responses are generated. The gene variant can also help researchers find ways to improve vaccines for everyone. 

How the study was conducted

Initially, the researchers analysed 1,190 participants who enrolled in the University of Oxford's Covid-19 vaccine clinical trials. The researchers also looked at DNA from 1,677 adults who enrolled on Oxford's Com-COV (Comparing Covid-19 Vaccine Schedules Combinations) research programme, a trial studying the use of different combinations of approved Covid-19 vaccines for the first and second immunisation doses. The trial is looking at second-dose options for people who received either the Oxford-AstraZeneca or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine as a first dose. The study authors examined DNA samples from children who had participated in clinical trials for the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. 

What the study found

Individuals with the HLA-DQB1*06 gene showed higher antibody responses against the Covid-19 vaccines at 28 days following the first vaccine, the study says. 

These individuals were more likely to have a higher antibody response at all times following vaccination. 

In the initial trials, the researchers found that the gene allele was present in around a third of individuals reporting symptoms of Covid-19 with a positive swab test for SARS-CoV-2. Meanwhile, the allele was present in 46 per cent of individuals who did not report symptoms. 

In the statement, Dr Alexander Mentzer, a lead researcher on the study, said the researchers have seen a wide variation in how quickly people test positive for Covid-19 after vaccination. The findings suggest that one's genetic code may influence how likely this is to happen over time. 

He added that the findings could help researchers improve vaccines for the future so they not only help prevent severe disease, but also keep people symptom-free for as long as possible. 

Dr Daniel O'Connor, a co-author on the paper, said the study shows that one's genetic makeup, in addition to factors such as age and health status, affects how well they respond to vaccines and the subsequent risk of diseases such as Covid-19. This could have important implications in the design and implementation of future vaccines.