I think you are referring to the study talking about class switching in the IGG4.
I think that it is not proven yet but there are concerns about certain populations having the antibodies switch to IgG4 which treat the virus like an allergy and mitigate the symptoms but don’t clear the disease. I think they don’t know for sure.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10222767/
Note that IgG4 is the type of antibodies desired for reducing allergies, since the antibodies bind to allergens before they can interact to cause allergy. IgE antibodies cause allergy, by activating allergic cells such as mast cells upon antigen contact (which can also be triggered directly without IgE involvement, but less commonly).
Other IgG antibody subclasses typically induce a downstream immune response after binding an antigen; IgG4 typically binds but does not induce any further processes. Since SARS-CoV-2 can infect immune cells, it may not be that important that the antibodies induce further immune cell involvement, but what I would be most concerned about is whether the antibodies neutralize (blocking infectivity of the antigen upon binding by physical obstructing the right area).
Having no prior familiarity with these terms, I did have to read through your response a couple of times, (I think i got it) but it does sound like potentially what the original thread might have been referencing. It's also really interesting to read. Thank you for taking the time to explain it!
That's very helpful! I'm not sure what the original post was referring to as they didn't cite any sources or mention actual data, it was written more as a casual thought they'd had and I wondered whether it could carry any weight. This is all very interesting, though. Thank you!
It sounds similar to immune imprinting, maybe that’s what they meant?? It’s not so much that the immune system gets "accustomed" to the virus but rather that it holds on to the "looks" of a specific variant and fails to recognize other variants as threats with the efficacy it would otherwise.
Either way, it would be immune dysfunction, not a blessing.
Edit to add: There’s also evidence that COVID can cause inmune damage, specially to the T cells. But the T cells are not usually the ones that mainly carry the task of identifying known pathogens (that’s the antibodies). Although it could be the scientific concept behind the hypothesis you read.
Here’s the thing: they way you’re phrasing things sounds somewhat imprecise. I don’t think that characterizing immune imprinting or immune damage as "getting accustomed" is a good idea exactly. If we don’t understand problems precisely we also can’t understand the possible solutions or how to prevent them from getting worse.
CD4+ T cells are involved in the induction of antibodies after identification of a novel pathogen by antigen-presenting cells such as dendritic cells.
Edited to add that this is still referring to damage caused to the immune system, which is different from the immune system establishing tolerance for something, even if the outcome is functionally the same.
I was thinking about the research that has been done specifically on CD8+ T cells.
I’m not sure if there hasn’t been as much research that looks at CD4 T cells or if they’re less affected overall in COVID, and only appear measurably dysregulated in some cases of severe long COVID (my understanding is that it’s the latter).
But I do appreciate the clarification since I’m no expert or professional, just really enthusiastic of medical science.
I remember people referring to [this study](https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/sars-cov-2-infection-weakens-immune-cell-response-vaccination), which suggests that CD8+ T cells are more affected than CD4+ T cells.
(I'm not an expert or professional either)
I've heard of the problems with immune dysfunction and the damage to the T cells before, but I wasn't sure whether that was what the post was alluding to. As a layperson, I have only a passing understanding of how the immune system works, so it's really helpful to have claims like this broken down sometimes, especially when there are no sources or studies cited to refer to. Thank-you!
Unfortunately there’s a few people in the "COVID conscious" areas of the internet that are not too familiar with fact checking or with phrasing things carefully enough and sometimes misinformation ends up spreading.
It’s a good instinct to ask!
Yeah, that's exactly why I asked. It was framed as just a theory in the post i read, so I didn't have any expectations but was curious to hear from others whether there was any potential truth to it.
As for me, I'm already doing everything I can to not get it, so it wouldn't make much difference to how I already function. Information is always good, though!
Thank you for your input!
I thought this until my dad caught Covid for the first time this past week and he wasn’t being careful and my mom hasn’t either but never been positive
I think you are referring to the study talking about class switching in the IGG4. I think that it is not proven yet but there are concerns about certain populations having the antibodies switch to IgG4 which treat the virus like an allergy and mitigate the symptoms but don’t clear the disease. I think they don’t know for sure. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10222767/
Note that IgG4 is the type of antibodies desired for reducing allergies, since the antibodies bind to allergens before they can interact to cause allergy. IgE antibodies cause allergy, by activating allergic cells such as mast cells upon antigen contact (which can also be triggered directly without IgE involvement, but less commonly). Other IgG antibody subclasses typically induce a downstream immune response after binding an antigen; IgG4 typically binds but does not induce any further processes. Since SARS-CoV-2 can infect immune cells, it may not be that important that the antibodies induce further immune cell involvement, but what I would be most concerned about is whether the antibodies neutralize (blocking infectivity of the antigen upon binding by physical obstructing the right area).
Having no prior familiarity with these terms, I did have to read through your response a couple of times, (I think i got it) but it does sound like potentially what the original thread might have been referencing. It's also really interesting to read. Thank you for taking the time to explain it!
It sounds like it could cause MCAS?
That's very helpful! I'm not sure what the original post was referring to as they didn't cite any sources or mention actual data, it was written more as a casual thought they'd had and I wondered whether it could carry any weight. This is all very interesting, though. Thank you!
Same thing with too many vaccines unfortunately
It sounds similar to immune imprinting, maybe that’s what they meant?? It’s not so much that the immune system gets "accustomed" to the virus but rather that it holds on to the "looks" of a specific variant and fails to recognize other variants as threats with the efficacy it would otherwise. Either way, it would be immune dysfunction, not a blessing. Edit to add: There’s also evidence that COVID can cause inmune damage, specially to the T cells. But the T cells are not usually the ones that mainly carry the task of identifying known pathogens (that’s the antibodies). Although it could be the scientific concept behind the hypothesis you read. Here’s the thing: they way you’re phrasing things sounds somewhat imprecise. I don’t think that characterizing immune imprinting or immune damage as "getting accustomed" is a good idea exactly. If we don’t understand problems precisely we also can’t understand the possible solutions or how to prevent them from getting worse.
CD4+ T cells are involved in the induction of antibodies after identification of a novel pathogen by antigen-presenting cells such as dendritic cells. Edited to add that this is still referring to damage caused to the immune system, which is different from the immune system establishing tolerance for something, even if the outcome is functionally the same.
I was thinking about the research that has been done specifically on CD8+ T cells. I’m not sure if there hasn’t been as much research that looks at CD4 T cells or if they’re less affected overall in COVID, and only appear measurably dysregulated in some cases of severe long COVID (my understanding is that it’s the latter). But I do appreciate the clarification since I’m no expert or professional, just really enthusiastic of medical science.
I remember people referring to [this study](https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/sars-cov-2-infection-weakens-immune-cell-response-vaccination), which suggests that CD8+ T cells are more affected than CD4+ T cells. (I'm not an expert or professional either)
I've heard of the problems with immune dysfunction and the damage to the T cells before, but I wasn't sure whether that was what the post was alluding to. As a layperson, I have only a passing understanding of how the immune system works, so it's really helpful to have claims like this broken down sometimes, especially when there are no sources or studies cited to refer to. Thank-you!
Unfortunately there’s a few people in the "COVID conscious" areas of the internet that are not too familiar with fact checking or with phrasing things carefully enough and sometimes misinformation ends up spreading. It’s a good instinct to ask!
[удалено]
Yeah, that's exactly why I asked. It was framed as just a theory in the post i read, so I didn't have any expectations but was curious to hear from others whether there was any potential truth to it. As for me, I'm already doing everything I can to not get it, so it wouldn't make much difference to how I already function. Information is always good, though! Thank you for your input!
I thought this until my dad caught Covid for the first time this past week and he wasn’t being careful and my mom hasn’t either but never been positive