Evaluation of Immune Response to COVID-19 in Neonates

Reza Bahrami; Fatemeh Asadian; Mohammad  Golshan-Tafti

doi:10.18502/wjpn.v6i1.14251

Reza Bahrami Department of Pediatrics, Neonatal Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
Fatemeh Asadian Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Paramedical Science, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
Mohammad Golshan-Tafti Department of Pediatrics, Islamic Azad University of Yazd, Yazd, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/wjpn.v6i1.14251

Keywords: COVID-19; Immune system; T-cell; Neonate; Inflammation; Immunosuppressive

Abstract

Background: During the COVID-19 epidemic, many neonates were involved, but they had fewer complications and deaths than adults. Therefore, in this review study, we investigated the immune mechanisms of neonates in response to COVID-19.

Methods: We reviewed articles that evaluated the immune system, COVID-19, or SARS-COV2 in neonates. We searched the databases of Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Sciences, SciELO, and CNKI databases published up to December 2022.

Results: There are different immune mechanisms in response to COVID-19 in infants, which lead to a different response to COVID-19 compared to adults. The important mechanisms include lower expression of ACE2 receptor, abundant of naive T cells, absence of cytokine storm, abundant of immunosuppressive cells, less inflammatory reactions, breastmilk secretory IgA, transfer of IgG through the placenta, and absence of chronic comorbidities. Also, in comparison with pediatrics multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS‐C) doesn’t observe in neonates.

Conclusion: The exact immune mechanisms in response to COVID-19 in infants have not yet been discovered, but knowing the exact mechanisms can be effective in future treatments, the production of effective vaccines, and other viral treatments, so there is a need for more investigations in this field.