EXTRACELLULAR VESICLES AS MARKERS OF INFLAMMATION AND HYPERCOAGULABILITY DURING THE FIRST MONTH OF SARS-COV-2 INFECTION IN OUTPATIENTS AND HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS

Introduction

During SARS-CoV-2 infection, a severe hypercoagulability state is observed due to the stimulus of multiple mechanisms of hemostasis, such as coagulation, activation of platelets, endothelial cells, monocytes and neutrophils and impaired fibrinolysis. As a consequence, thrombotic complications are common in the course of COVID-19. Microvesicles (MVs) are intracellular transmitters that participate in pathological conditions, such as inflammatory and infectious processes, and are capable of triggering prothrombotic mechanisms. Since MVs release is potentially associated with COVID-19-induced coagulopathy, our aim was to identify during the course of the disease when the stimulus for MVs release occurs and whether this was associated with adverse outcomes.

Objective

We evaluated changes in the levels of MVs markers during the first month of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients (pts) with severe disease (hospitalized in an Intensive Care Unit ‒ ICU) as compared to outpatients. We also evaluated the association between MVs markers with: inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein, CRP), hypercoagulability (D-dimer) and death.

Methods

Blood samples were collected on three occasions: before the 10^th day of symptoms, in the 3^rd week of symptoms and in the 4^th week of symptoms for the quantification of the following MVs markers by flow cytometry: CD41A (platelet activation), CD162 (PSGL-1; leukocyte-platelet interaction), CD31 (endothelium-platelet interaction) and CD142 (tissue factor). Statistical tests of ANOVA with repeated measures, Mann-Whitney and regression methods were used.

Results

The population studied was 85 pts, being 25 from ICU. Mostly were men (51%), with a median age of 41 years. The concentration of MVs expressing CD31+, CD41+, CD162+ and CD142+ were persistently elevated in pts who required ICU compared to outpatients at the 3 moments studied, except for the levels of MVs-CD31+ and MVs-CD142+ that were similar between ICU and outpatients in the 4^th week of symptoms. However, despite the differences between the groups, there were no significant changes in the levels of MVs during the course of the disease within the groups. In subgroup analysis, we observed that increases in the levels of MVs-CD162+ and MVs-CD142+ in the 3^rd week of symptoms were associated with the risk of death (p=0.02 and p=0.06, respectively). We also observed that during the course of the disease an association between MVs, coagulability and inflammation was evident. In the 3rd week of symptoms, D-dimer levels were correlated with MV-CD31+ (r=0.52, p<0.0001), MV-CD162+ (r=0.35, p=0.001), MV-CD41A+ (r=0.44, p<0.0001) and MV-CD142+ (r=0.47, p<0.0001) and CRP values were correlated with MV-CD31+ (r=0.56, p=<0.0001), MV-CD162+ (r=0.48, p<0.0001), MV-CD41A+ (r= 0.41, p=0.0001), and MV-CD142+ (r=0.56, p<0.0001). By the 4^th week of symptoms, both D-dimers and CRP correlations with the above MVs remained unchanged.

Conclusion

To conclude, MVs that express antigens related to platelet activation, leukocyte-platelet interaction and endothelium-platelet interaction, as well as those related to tissue factor are released during the course of COVID-19 in pts with severe disease. After the 4^th week of symptoms, the release of these MVs was associated with signs of inflammation and hypercoagulability. Additionally, MVs that express tissue factor and leukocyte-platelet interaction antigens were particularly high among non-survivors, suggesting that these MVs may serve as markers of the risk of death. Finally, these findings suggest the participation of innate immunity and tissue factor pathways in the prognosis of COVID-19, and point towards a possible role of MVs as biomarkers of disease prognosis.

Carrier Detection in Severe (Type III) von Willebrand Disease Using Two Intragenic Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms

DNA from a family with a female member affected with severe (type III) vWD was analysed using three restriction enzymes and a partial vWF cDNA probe. Two restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) detected with the enzymes Bgl II and Xba I proved to be informative in this family. A 36.0 Kb allele, demonstrated with the enzyme Xba I was rare in the general population but very important in this family for segregation analysis of the alleles and their association with the putative defective chromosome. The propositus was homozygous for the 36.0 Kb Xba I polymorphic band and heterozygous for the Bgl II polymorphism. She was the only member of the family showing this allelic pattern. The linkage of the alleles could be determined because her mother was homozygous for the 9.0 Kb Bgl II polymorphism but heterozygous for the Xba I polymorphism. The segregation of the alleles could be traced to the proband’s son and a niece. The genotypic analysis revealed that her niece could be considered as carrying a defective gene for severe vWD.

Clinical Application of a Chromogenic Substrate Method for Determination of Factor VIII Activity

A chromogenic substrate kit for the determination of factor VIII activity (COATEST® Factor VIII) has been evaluated in five different laboratories, one of them using a semi-automated procedure. This chromogenic method was compared to one-stage clotting assays for factor VIII determination in plasmas from healthy subjects, carriers of hemophilia A, severe, mild and moderate hemophilia A as well as von Willebrand’s patients. In all these cases, a high correlation between these two methods was obtained (r = 0.96-0.99, n = 385) with a good agreement of the assigned potencies at all levels of factor VIII. A good correlation (r = 0.94) was also obtained for the levels of factor VIII after infusion of concentrates in six severe hemophiliacs or after administration of DDAVP to von Willebrand’s patients.

The chromogenic method is insensitive to preactivation of factor VIII by thrombin, thus yielding valid potency assignments also in these situations.

The precision was higher with the chromogenic method than with the one-stage clotting assays (C.V. = 2-5% vs 4-15%). Altogether, the new chromogenic substrate method has proven itself suitable for determination of factor VIII in plasma and concentrates.

An Enzyme Immunoassay (ELISA) for the Quantitation of Human Factor VII

A new solid phase enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed for the quantitation of human Factor VII antigen (F VII Ag), using a monospecific rabbit anti-F VII antiserum. Anti-F VII F(ab′)2 fragments were adsorbed to polystyrene plates. The binding of serial dilutions of control or test plasma, containing F VII, was detected by incubation with peroxidase-labeled anti- FV II IgG followed by the addition of hydrogen peroxyde and O-phenylenediamine. This ELISA is specific, sensitive (detection limit: 0.05%) and accurate (coefficient of variation: 1.5-4% for within- and 1.6-9% for between-assays). F VII coagulant activity (F VII C) and F VII Ag were determined in large populations of controls and patients. In normal plasma (n = 38), F VII Ag ranged from 83 to 117% and the correlation coefficient between F VII Ag and F VII C was 0.94. In patients with severe (F VII C inf. 1%) congenital F VII deficiency (n = 5), F VII Ag was undetectable in two cases (inf. 0.05%) and markedly reduced (0.35 to 5.6%) in the three other cases. In patients with liver cirrhosis (n = 15), F VII Ag ranged from 21 to 59% and was in good correlation with F VII C (r = 0.84). In dicoumarol treated patients (n = 15), the levels of F VII Ag ranged from 51% to 79% and a poor correlation (r = 0.52) with F VIIC was observed. In “compensated” DIC (n = 5), levels of F VII Ag varied from 60 to 186%, with significantly higher F VII C levels (from 143 to 189%). In contrast, in “decompensated” DIC (n = 7), low F VII Ag and F VII C levels were observed (from 7 to 27%). In patients with deep-vein thrombosis (n = 25), high levels of F VII Ag (from 102 to 136%) and F VII C (from 110 to 150%) were demonstrated. In surgical patients, no significant difference was observed before and one day after intervention.

Multicenter Retrospective Study on the Utilization of FEIBA in France in Patients with Factor VIII and Factor IX Inhibitors

Factor VIII or factor IX replacement is frequently impossible in inhibitor-developing hemophiliacs, because of the level of the inhibitor titer. Activated prothrombin complex concentrates are one of the available options to treat the bleeding episodes in such patients. However, the efficacy of these products and the associated thrombogenic risk, particularly in prolonged administration such as employed during surgeries, are important concerns for hemophilia care providers. We performed a multicenter retrospective study to evaluate the use of FEIBA (Factor Eight Bypassing Activity) in France, and data is presented on 433 bleeding episodes, including surgical procedures, concerning 60 patients from 15 hemophilia centers.

The efficacy was judged as good or excellent in 352 episodes (81.3%), poor in 73 episodes (16.9%) and non-existent in 8 episodes (1.8%). Minor and major surgical procedures were successfully performed using FEIBA as a second-line therapy after human or porcine factor VIII, and in some occasions FEIBA was utilized as the only substitution product. The tolerance was assessed as good in 428 episodes (98.8%), but in 5 cases adverse effects were reported. Only 3 patients out of 52 regularly evaluated (5.8%) were HIV-seropositive, and for two of them the seroconversion occurred prior to the first use of FEIBA. In contrast, 80.4% of the patients were HCV-seropositive. An anamnestic response after the administration of FEIBA was noted in 31.5% of cases. This study points out the main features of the use of FEIBA in France, and particularly the low HIV seroprevalence in the patients treated. The good efficacy and the excellent tolerance still confer to this product a place to consider in the therapeutic options for the treatment of inhibitor-developing hemophiliacs or in acquired hemophilia.

French Previously Untreated Patients with Severe Hemophilia A after Exposure to Recombinant Factor VIII : Incidence of Inhibitor and Evaluation of Immune Tolerance

Fifty French previously untreated patients with severe hemophilia A (factor VIII <1%), treated with only one brand of recombinant factor VIII (rFVIII), were evaluated for inhibitor development, assessment of risk factors and outcome of immune tolerance regimen. The median period on study was 32 months (range 9-74) since the first injection of rFVIII. Fourteen patients (28%) developed an inhibitor, four of whom (8%) with a high titer (≥10 BU). All inhibitor patients but one continued to receive rFVIII either for on-demand treatment or for immune tolerance regimen (ITR). Among these patients, inhibitor was transient in 2 (4%), became undetectable in 6 and was still present in 6. The prevalence of inhibitor was 12%. Presence of intron 22 inversion was found to be a risk factor for inhibitor development. Immune tolerance was difficult to achieve in our series despite a follow-up period of 16 to 30 months: immune tolerance was complete in only one out of the 3 patients undergoing low dose ITR and in one out of the 5 patients with high dose ITR.

Anti-A2 and anti-A1 domain antibodies are potential predictors of immune tolerance induction outcome in children with hemophilia A

BACKGROUND

Hemophilia A (HA) is a congenital bleeding disorder resulting from factor VIII deficiency. The most serious complication of HA management is the appearance of inhibitory antibodies (Abs) against injected FVIII concentrates. To eradicate inhibitors, immune tolerance induction (ITI) is usually attempted, but it fails in up to 30% of cases. Currently, no undisputed predictive marker of ITI outcome is available to facilitate the clinical decision.

OBJECTIVES

To identify predictive markers of ITI efficacy.

METHODS

The isotypic and epitopic repertoires of inhibitory Abs were analyzed in plasma samples collected before ITI initiation from 15 children with severe HA and high-titer inhibitors, and their levels were compared in the two outcome groups (ITI success [n = 7] and ITI failure [n = 8]). The predictive value of these candidate biomarkers and of the currently used indicators (inhibitor titer and age at ITI initiation, highest inhibitor titer before ITI, and interval between inhibitor diagnosis and ITI initiation) was then compared by statistical analysis (Wilcoxon test and receiver receiver operating characteristic [ROC] curve analysis).

RESULTS

Whereas current indicators seemed to fail in discriminating patients in the two outcome groups (ITI success or failure), anti-A1 and anti-A2 Ab levels before ITI initiation appeared to be good potential predictive markers of ITI outcome (P < 0.018). ROC analysis showed that anti-A1 and anti-A2 Abs were the best at discriminating between outcome groups (area under the ROC curve of > 0.875).

CONCLUSION

Anti-A1 and anti-A2 Abs could represent new promising tools for the development of ITI outcome prediction tests for children with severe HA.

Immune tolerance induction in haemophilia A patients with inhibitors by treatment with recombinant factor VIII: a retrospective non-interventional study

Immune tolerance induction (ITI) can overcome inhibitory factor VIII (FVIII) antibodies in haemophilia A patients receiving FVIII replacement therapy. The objective was to evaluate the use of sucrose-formulated, full-length recombinant FVIII (rFVIII-FS) for ITI therapy. Patients (<8 years at ITI start) with severe haemophilia A and a peak inhibitor titre >5 Bethesda units (BU) who underwent ITI with any rFVIII-FS dose for ≥ 9 months (or until success) were eligible for this retrospective study. Efficacy analyses included descriptions of ITI treatment regimens and outcomes; ITI success was determined solely at the discretion of the investigator. Safety analyses included assessment of adverse events. Of 51 enrolled patients, 32 [high dose (≥ 85 IU kg(-1) day(-1)), n = 21; low dose, n = 11] were eligible for analysis. ITI was successful in 69% (22/32) of patients (high dose, 66.7%; low dose, 72.7%) after a median of 1.4 years (range, 0.1-3.6 years). Influencing factors for ITI success were start of ITI <1 year after inhibitor detection and an inhibitor titre <10 BU at ITI start. All patients successfully tolerized with ITI continued to receive rFVIII-FS prophylaxis as maintenance therapy, with no inhibitor recurrence from the end of ITI until study enrolment. Use of rFVIII-FS for ITI was effective and well tolerated; success rates were similar to those in published studies.