A transient increase in cytokine activity, notably involving components of the Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) pathway, such as CXCL10 and IL-10, was observed within three days after the third dose
A transient increase in cytokine activity, notably involving components of the Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) pathway, such as CXCL10 and IL-10, was observed within three days after the third dose. an additional measurement on day 3 post-vaccination. The analysis revealed no substantial variation in anti-spike antibody titer against the SARS-CoV-2 ancestral strain between the pre-vaccination phase and three days following the third dose. However, a significant nine-fold increase in these titers was observed by day 7, maintained until day 21. Although a decrease was observed by day 180, all participants still had detectable antibody levels. A similar trend was noted for neutralizing antibodies, with a four-fold rise by day 7 post-vaccination. At day 180, a diminution RU.521 (RU320521) of neutralizing antibody titers was evident for both wild-type and all variants, including Omicron subvariant. A transient increase in cytokine activity, notably involving components of the Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) pathway, such as CXCL10 and IL-10, was observed within three days after the third dose. This study underscores a distinct amplification of humoral immune response seven days following the third SARS-CoV-2 vaccine dose and observes a decline in neutralizing antibody titers 180 days following the third dose, thus indicating the temporal humoral effectiveness of booster vaccination. A short-term cytokine surge, notably involving the JAK/STAT pathway, highlights the dynamic immune modulation post-vaccination. Keywords:Antibody response, Cytokine response, SARS-CoV-2, Third dose, JAK/STAT pathway == Introduction == Since the emergence RU.521 (RU320521) of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic in 2020, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has presented a formidable global health challenge. Multiple guidelines and recommendations for managing and preventing infection have been proposed, with vaccination emerging as a paramount strategy[1]. The preliminary two-dose regimen of vaccination has demonstrated robust immune responses and effectiveness in mitigating COVID-19, but a decline in antibody titers coupled with the advent of new variants, notably Delta and Omicron, have culminated in a significant number of breakthrough infections[2],[3],[4],[5],[6],[7]. Consequently, a third vaccine dose has been advocated to amplify attenuated immune responses and diversify immunity against variants of SARS-CoV-2 of concern. This additional dose has garnered approval for the general population in South Korea, and existing studies conducted in this region attest to its protective effect against SARS-CoV-2 infections[8],[9],[10]. The protective effect of COVID-19 vaccines is predominantly contingent on the humoral immune system, which mobilizes antibodies and neutralizing activity as principal indicators of post-vaccination protection[11]. Furthermore, proinflammatory responses, including cytokine release, play a fundamental role in the host response to viral infections and the ensuing immunopathology[12]. Hence, the assessment of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers, neutralizing activity, and cytokines could be instrumental in understanding the immune response elicited by the vaccine and forecasting its efficacy. Effectiveness of the third vaccines in reducing infection and severe illness MYO5C was well documented, and our insight into the immune responses it elicits continues to expand[13],[14]. To guide the refinement and development of future vaccines, further data on the sequential immunologic response RU.521 (RU320521) post-vaccination are warranted. Thus, the current study aimed to examine the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 ancestral strain (hereafter referred to as wild-type) and its variants in healthy volunteers with no prior SARS-CoV-2 infection. This was achieved by measuring anti-spike antibody titers, neutralizing activity, RU.521 (RU320521) and cytokines at multiple time points before and after the administration of the third vaccine dose and by comparing antibody levels in accordance with infection status following vaccination. == Methods == == Participants and study design == This study involved a total of 62 healthy volunteers, all of whom had not been previously infected with SARS-CoV-2 and had given informed consent. Their infection status was verified by quantifying the anti-nucleocapsid antibody. Within this group, 44 had been part of a former study conducted by the present authors, which probed antibody and cytokine responses post-heterologous vaccination with the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vector (AZD1222, AstraZeneca) and BNT162b2 mRNA vaccines (Pfizer/BioNTecn) (hereafter referred to as ChAd and BNT, respectively)[6]. The study spanned from January to September 2022, during which blood samples were drawn on the day of vaccination and subsequently on days 3, 7, 21, and 180 following the third vaccination. Information on SARS-CoV-2 infection status within 180.