Deciphering the TCR Repertoire to Solve the COVID-19 Mystery

A comparative analysis of TCR immune repertoire in COVID-19 patients

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has merged as a global health threat since its outbreak in December 2019. Despite widespread recognition, there has been a paucity of studies focusing on the T cell receptor (TCR) bias in adaptive immunity induced by SARS-CoV-2. This research conducted a comparative analysis of the TCR immune repertoire to identify notable αβ TCR bias sequences associated with the SARS-CoV-2 virus antigen. The present study encompassed 73 symptomatic COVID-19 patients, categorized as moderate/mild or severe/critical, along with 9 healthy controls. Our findings revealed specific TCR chains prominently utilized by moderate and severe patients, identified as TRAV30-J34-TRBV3-1-J2-7 and TRAV12-3-J6-TRBV28-J1-1, respectively. Additionally, our research explored critical TCR preferences in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of COVID-19 patients at various disease stages. Indeed, monitoring the dynamics of immune repertoire changes in COVID-19 patients could serve as a crucial biomarker for predicting disease progression and recovery. Furthermore, the study explored TCR bias in both peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and BALF. The most common αβ VJ pair observed in BALF was TRAV12-3-J18-TRBV7-6-J2-7. In addition, a comparative analysis with the VDJdb database indicated that the HLA-A*02:01 allele exhibited the widest distribution and highest frequency in COVID-19 patients across different periods. This comprehensive examination provided a global characterization of the TCR immune repertoire in COVID-19 patients, contributing significantly to our understanding of TCR bias induced by SARS-CoV-2.

Defining T cell receptor repertoires using nanovial-based binding and functional screening

The ability to selectively bind to antigenic peptides and secrete effector molecules can define rare and low-affinity populations of cells with therapeutic potential in emerging T cell receptor (TCR) immunotherapies. We leverage cavity-containing hydrogel microparticles, called nanovials, each coated with peptide-major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) monomers to isolate antigen-reactive T cells. T cells are captured and activated by pMHCs inducing the secretion of effector molecules including IFN-γ and granzyme B that are accumulated on nanovials, allowing sorting based on both binding and function. The TCRs of sorted cells on nanovials are sequenced, recovering paired αβ-chains using microfluidic emulsion-based single-cell sequencing. By labeling nanovials having different pMHCs with unique oligonucleotide-barcodes and secretions with oligo-barcoded detection antibodies, we could accurately link TCR sequences to specific targets and rank each TCR based on the corresponding cell's secretion level. Using the technique, we identified an expanded repertoire of functional TCRs targeting viral antigens with high specificity and found rare TCRs with activity against cancer-specific splicing-enhanced epitopes.

Characteristics of innate, humoral and cellular immunity in children with non-severe SARS-CoV-2 infection

The symptoms of children infected with SARS-CoV-2 are mainly asymptomatic, mild, moderate, and a few severe cases. To understand the immune response characteristics of children infected with SARS-COV-2 who do not develop severe cases, 82 children infected with the SARS-CoV-2 delta strain were recruited in this study. Our results showed that high levels of IgG, IgM, and neutralization antibodies appeared in children infected with SARS-CoV-2. SARS-CoV-2 induced upregulation of both pro-inflammatory factors including TNF-α and anti-inflammatory factors including IL-4 and IL-13 in the children, even IL-10. The expression of INF-α in infected children also showed a significant increase compared to healthy children. However, IL-6, one of the important inflammatory factors, did not show an increase in infected children. It is worth noting that a large number of chemokines reduced in the SARS-CoV-2-infected children. Subsequently, TCR Repertoire, TCRβ bias, and preferential usage were analyzed on data of TCR next-generation sequencing from 8 SARS-CoV-2-infected children and 8 healthy controls. We found a significant decrease in TCR clonal diversity and a significant increase in TCR clonal expansion in SARS-CoV-2-infected children compared to healthy children. The most frequent V and J genes in SARS-CoV-2 children were TRBV28 and TRBJ2-1. The most frequently VβJ gene pairing in SARS-CoV-2 infected children was TRBV20-1-TRBJ2-1. The strong antiviral antibody levels, low expression of key pro-inflammatory factors, significant elevation of anti-inflammatory factors, and downregulation of many chemokines jointly determine that SARS-CoV-2-infected children rarely develop severe cases. Overall, our findings shed a light on the immune response of non-severe children infected with SARS-CoV-2.

Altered T-cell receptor β repertoire in adults with SARS CoV-2 inactivated vaccine of BBIBP-CorV

OBJECTIVE

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused the prolonged and widespread epidemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The inactivated BBIBP-CorV vaccine has shown safety, efficacy and immunogenicity against COVID-19 in in-vitro studies and clinical trials. However, the characteristics changes of the TCRβ repertoire in patients receiving BBIBP-CorV remain unclear.

METHODS

TCRβ repertoire difference were analyzed between 54 uninfected subjects who received a third dose of the enhanced BBIBP-CorV vaccine and the 16 healthy donors who did not receive the vaccine and 44 COVID-19 patients with different courses of disease (asymptomatic, symptomatic and convalescent). Furthermore, antibody response, anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory cytokines also were examined.

RESULTS

We found that the third dose inactivated coronavirus vaccine induced widespread changes including the increased TCRβ repertoire diversity, a much shorter CDR3 length and high usage of V-J genes segments. Meanwhile, the vaccine-responding clones were also predicted. The results of the antibody response showed that 90.7 % of the vaccinated individuals were positive for NAb seroconversion and 88.9 % for IgG antibody about 60 days after the third dose. The concentration of IL-2 increased significantly compared to baseline inoculation.

CONCLUSION

Altered TCRβ repertoire in adults with SARS CoV-2 inactivated vaccine of BBIBP-CorV clarified the specific immunity induced by inactivated vaccines. Our research provides insights into the adaptive immune response induced by the new inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine and strengthens the development of immunotherapy.

Twelve-Month Follow-up of the Immune Response After COVID-19 Vaccination in Patients with Genitourinary Cancers: A Prospective Cohort Analysis

BACKGROUND

Vaccinations against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have had a transformative impact on morbidity and mortality. However, the long-term impact of vaccination on patients with genitourinary cancers is currently unknown.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study aimed to assess seroconversion rates in patients with genitourinary cancers receiving COVID-19 vaccination. Patients with prostate cancer, renal cell carcinoma, or urothelial cancer who had not been vaccinated for COVID-19 were included. Blood samples were obtained at baseline and after 2, 6, and 12 months of one dose of an FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine. Antibody titer analysis was performed using the SCoV-2 Detect IgG ELISA assay, and the results were reported as immune status ratio (ISR). A paired t-test was used for comparison of ISR values between timepoints. In addition, T-cell receptor (TCR) sequencing was performed to assess for differences in TCR repertoire 2 months after vaccination.

RESULTS

Out of 133 patients enrolled, 98 baseline blood samples were collected. At 2-, 6-, and 12-month time points 98, 70, and 50 samples were collected, respectively. Median age was 67 (IQR, 62-75), with the majority of patients diagnosed with prostate (55.1%) or renal cell carcinoma (41.8%). Compared to baseline (0.24 [95% CI, 0.19-0.31]) a significant increase in the geometric mean ISR values was observed at the 2-month timepoint (5.59 [4.76-6.55]) (P < .001). However, at the 6-month timepoint, a significant decrease in the ISR values was observed (4.66 [95% CI, 4.04-5.38]; P < .0001). Notably, at the 12-month timepoint, the addition of a booster dose resulted in an absolute increase in the ISR values compared to those who did not receive a booster dose (P = .04).

CONCLUSIONS

Only a minority of patients with genitourinary cancers did not ultimately achieve satisfactory seroconversion after receiving commercial COVID-19 vaccination. Cancer type or treatment rendered did not appear to affect the immune response mounted after vaccination.

Immune Repertoire Profiling Reveals Its Clinical Application Potential and Triggers for Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorders

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) is widely recognized as a CNS demyelinating disease associated with AQP4-IgG (T cell-dependent antibody), and its trigger is still unclear. In addition, although the treatment of NMOSD currently can rely on traditional immunosuppressive and modulating agents, effective methods to predict the efficacy of these therapeutics are lacking.

METHODS

In this study, high-throughput T-cell receptor (TCR) sequencing was performed on peripheral blood from 151 pretreatment patients with AQP4-IgG⁺ NMOSD and 151 healthy individuals. We compared the TCR repertoire of those with NMOSD with that of healthy individuals and identified TCR clones that were significantly enriched in NMOSD. In addition, we treated 28 patients with AQP4-IgG⁺ NMOSD with immunosuppressants and followed up for 6 months to compare changes in NMOSD-specific TCRs (NMOSD-TCRs) before and after treatment. Moreover, we analyzed transcriptome and single-cell B-cell receptor (BCR) data from public databases and performed T-cell activation experiments using antigenic epitopes of cytomegalovirus (CMV) to further explore the triggers of AQP4-IgG⁺ NMOSD.

RESULTS

Compared with healthy controls, patients with AQP4-IgG⁺ NMOSD had significantly reduced diversity and shorter CDR3 length of TCRβ repertoire. Furthermore, we identified 597 NMOSD-TCRs with a high sequence similarity that have the potential to be used in the diagnosis and prognosis of NMOSD. The characterization of NMOSD-TCRs and pathology-associated clonotype annotation indicated that the occurrence of AQP4-IgG⁺ NMOSD may be associated with CMV infection, which was further corroborated by transcriptome and single-cell BCR analysis results from public databases and T-cell activation experiments.

DISCUSSION

Our findings suggest that the occurrence of AQP4-IgG⁺ NMOSD may be associated with CMV infection. In conclusion, our study provides new clues to uncover the causative factors of AQP4-IgG⁺ NMOSD and provides a theoretical foundation for treating and monitoring the disease.

T cell receptor β repertoires in patients with COVID-19 reveal disease severity signatures

Background

The immune responses to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are crucial in maintaining a delicate balance between protective effects and harmful pathological reactions that drive the progression of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). T cells play a significant role in adaptive antiviral immune responses, making it valuable to investigate the heterogeneity and diversity of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell responses in COVID-19 patients with varying disease severity.

Methods

In this study, we employed high-throughput T cell receptor (TCR) β repertoire sequencing to analyze TCR profiles in the peripheral blood of 192 patients with COVID-19, including those with moderate, severe, or critical symptoms, and compared them with 81 healthy controls. We specifically focused on SARS-CoV-2-associated TCR clonotypes.

Results

We observed a decrease in the diversity of TCR clonotypes in COVID-19 patients compared to healthy controls. However, the overall abundance of dominant clones increased with disease severity. Additionally, we identified significant differences in the genomic rearrangement of variable (V), joining (J), and VJ pairings between the patient groups. Furthermore, the SARS-CoV-2-associated TCRs we identified enabled accurate differentiation between COVID-19 patients and healthy controls (AUC > 0.98) and distinguished those with moderate symptoms from those with more severe forms of the disease (AUC > 0.8). These findings suggest that TCR repertoires can serve as informative biomarkers for monitoring COVID-19 progression.

Conclusions

Our study provides valuable insights into TCR repertoire signatures that can be utilized to assess host immunity to COVID-19. These findings have important implications for the use of TCR β repertoires in monitoring disease development and indicating disease severity.

T-cell receptor signaling modulated by the co-receptors: Potential targets for stroke treatment

Stroke is a severe and life-threatening disease, necessitating more research on new treatment strategies. Infiltrated T lymphocytes, an essential adaptive immune cell with extensive effector function, are crucially involved in post-stroke inflammation. Immediately after the initiation of the innate immune response triggered by microglia/macrophages, the adaptive immune response associated with T lymphocytes also participates in the complex pathophysiology of stroke and partially informs the outcome of stroke. Preclinical and clinical studies have revealed the conflicting roles of T cells in post-stroke inflammation and as potential therapeutic targets. Therefore, exploring the mechanisms that underlie the adaptive immune response associated with T lymphocytes in stroke is essential. The T-cell receptor (TCR) and its downstream signaling regulate T lymphocyte differentiation and activation. This review comprehensively summarizes the various molecules that regulate TCR signaling and the T-cell response. It covers both the co-stimulatory and co-inhibitory molecules and their roles in stroke. Because immunoregulatory therapies targeting TCR and its mediators have achieved great success in some proliferative diseases, this article also summarizes the advances in therapeutic strategies related to TCR signaling in lymphocytes after stroke, which can facilitate translation. DATA AVAILABILITY: No data was used for the research described in the article.

Architecture of the SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell repertoire

The T cell response plays an indispensable role in the early control and successful clearance of SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, several important questions remain about the role of cellular immunity in COVID-19, including the shape and composition of disease-specific T cell repertoires across convalescent patients and vaccinated individuals, and how pre-existing T cell responses to other pathogens—in particular, common cold coronaviruses—impact susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection and the subsequent course of disease. This review focuses on how the repertoire of T cell receptors (TCR) is shaped by natural infection and vaccination over time. We also summarize current knowledge regarding cross-reactive T cell responses and their protective role, and examine the implications of TCR repertoire diversity and cross-reactivity with regard to the design of vaccines that confer broader protection against SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Functional studies of HLA and its role in SARS-CoV-2: Stimulating T cell response and vaccine development

In the biological immune process, the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) plays an indispensable role in the expression of HLA molecules in the human body when viral infection activates the T-cell response to remove the virus. Since the first case of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in 2019, how to address and prevent SARS-CoV-2 has become a common problem facing all mankind. The T-cell immune response activated by MHC peptides is a way to construct a defense line and reduce the transmission and harm of the virus. Presentation of SARS-CoV-2 antigen is associated with different types of HLA phenotypes, and different HLA phenotypes induce different immune responses. The prediction of SARS-CoV-2 mutation information and the design of vaccines based on HLAs can effectively activate autoimmunity and cope with virus mutations, which can provide some references for the prevention and treatment of SARS-CoV-2.

T Cell Response to SARS-CoV-2 Coinfection and Comorbidities

For the past three years, COVID-19 has become an increasing global health issue. Adaptive immune cells, especially T cells, have been extensively investigated in regard to SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, human health and T cell responses are also impacted by many other pathogens and chronic diseases. We have summarized T cell performance during SARS-CoV-2 coinfection with other viruses, bacteria, and parasites. Furthermore, we distinguished if those altered T cell statuses under coinfection would affect their clinical outcomes, such as symptom severity and hospitalization demand. T cell alteration in diabetes, asthma, and hypertension patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection was also investigated in our study. We have summarized whether changes in T cell response influence the clinical outcome during comorbidities.

Multimodal single-cell analyses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells of COVID-19 patients in Japan

SARS-CoV-2 continues to spread worldwide. Patients with COVID-19 show distinct clinical symptoms. Although many studies have reported various causes for the diversity of symptoms, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from COVID-19 patients were collected longitudinally, and single-cell transcriptome and T cell receptor repertoire analysis was performed. Comparison of molecular features and patients' clinical information revealed that the proportions of cells present, and gene expression profiles differed significantly between mild and severe cases; although even among severe cases, substantial differences were observed among the patients. In one severely-infected elderly patient, an effective antibody response seemed to have failed, which may have caused prolonged viral clearance. Naïve T cell depletion, low T cell receptor repertoire diversity, and aberrant hyperactivation of most immune cell subsets were observed during the acute phase in this patient. Through this study, we provided a better understanding of the diversity of immune landscapes and responses. The information obtained from this study can help medical professionals develop personalized optimal clinical treatment strategies for COVID-19.

Invariant chain of the MAIT-TCR vα7.2-Jα33 as a novel diagnostic biomarker for keloids

Keloids are pathological scars that invade normal surrounding tissue without self-limitation, causing pain, itching, cosmetic disfigurement, etc. Knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying keloids remains unclear; thus, there are no available biomarkers for its diagnosis, resulting in a diagnostic accuracy of only 81%, which may be resolved by seeking an effective biomarker. Given that keloids possess pathogenic features similar to those of autoimmune skin disease, this study aimed to utilise the single-cell V(D)J sequencing method to identify a potential biomarker and clarify the underlying biological mechanisms. Single-cell V(D)J sequencing was used to detect T cell receptor (TCR) diversity between keloid patients and healthy donors using peripheral blood samples, the results of which were further validated using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Flow cytometry was used to analyse the mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cell percentage, cytokine production, and activation marker expression levels in peripheral blood samples of keloid patients and normal donors. An immunofluorescence test was used to quantitatively analyse the distribution of MAIT cells in scar and healthy donor skin tissues. Single-cell V(D)J sequencing analysis showed that the usage frequency of the TRAJ33-one invariant chain of the TCR of MAIT cells was decreased in keloid patients. This result was validated by RT-PCR, which showed that significantly lower TCR Vα7.2-Jα33 was expressed in keloid patients compared with that in healthy donors and hypertrophic scar patients (p < 0.05). Flow cytometry and immunofluorescence tests further verified that MAIT cells decreased significantly both in the peripheral blood sample and lesions of keloid patients compared with those of healthy controls (p < 0.05). MAIT cells from keloid patients secreted less interferon (IFN)-γ than those from the healthy controls and hypertrophic scar group (p < 0.001). The percentage of PLZF+ MAIT cells was lowest in the peripheral blood samples of keloid patients (p < 0.05). The percentage of IL-18+ MAIT cells was lower in the peripheral blood samples of keloid patients compared with that in healthy donors (p < 0.05). These findings indicate that MAIT cells could be associated with keloids and may serve as potential biomarkers or therapeutic targets in the diagnosis of keloids.

Defining T cell receptor repertoires using nanovial-based affinity and functional screening

The ability to selectively bind to antigenic peptides and secrete cytokines can define populations of cells with therapeutic potential in emerging T cell receptor (TCR) immunotherapies. We leverage cavity-containing hydrogel microparticles, called nanovials, each coated with millions of peptide-major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) monomers to isolate antigen-reactive T cells. T cells are captured and activated by pMHCs and secrete cytokines on nanovials, allowing sorting based on both affinity and function. The TCRs of sorted cells on nanovials are sequenced, recovering paired αβ-chains using microfluidic emulsion-based single-cell sequencing. By labeling nanovials having different pMHCs with unique oligonucleotide-barcodes we could link TCR sequence to targets with 100% accuracy. We identified with high specificity an expanded repertoire of functional TCRs targeting viral antigens compared to standard techniques.

Immune Response to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccines in an Open-Label Multicenter Study in Participants with Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis Treated with Ofatumumab

BACKGROUND

It is unclear whether multiple sclerosis (MS) patients receiving ofatumumab mount an immune response after SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination.

METHODS

KYRIOS is an ongoing, multicenter, open-label, prospective clinical study on immune responses in MS patients after initial or booster SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination prior to (cohort 1) or during (cohort 2) ofatumumab treatment. We report one-week and one-month results of the initial vaccination. A comparison with patients vaccinated while receiving beta-interferon, glatiramer acetate, dimethyl fumarate, teriflunomide or no treatment was included (cohort 3).

RESULTS

In total, 11 patients received their initial vaccination during the study. The primary endpoint of SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cells at month 1 was reached by 80.0% of patients in cohort 1 (N = 6) and 100.0% in cohort 2 (N = 5). T-cell reactivity peaked at week 1. All cohort 1 patients reached seroconversion for SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies at week 1 and month 1. In cohort 2, neutralizing antibodies increased in all patients and exceeded the cut-off for seropositivity in 40.0% of patients at week 1 and 25.0% at month 1. Immune responses in cohort 3 were comparable to cohort 1.

CONCLUSION

Presence of T-cell response and increase in levels of neutralizing antibodies, although less pronounced compared to controls, suggest that MS patients receiving ofatumumab are able to mount an immune response to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination.

The intrarenal landscape of T cell receptor repertoire in clear cell renal cell cancer

BACKGROUND

Clear cell renal cell cancer (ccRCC) is accompanied by T-cell infiltration. In this study, we sought to determine the difference in T-cell infiltration and the T-cell receptor (TCR) immune repertoire between ccRCC and peritumour tissue.

METHODS

T-cell infiltration was examined using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and haematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. The chi-squared test and Pearson correlation analysis were applied to evaluate the relationship between clinical traits and CD3, CD4, and CD8 expression. Immune repertoire sequencing (IR-Seq) was used to describe the profile of the TCR repertoire.

RESULTS

The adjacent tissue showed increased expression of CD3, CD4 and CD8 compared with ccRCC tissue (P_CD3 = 0.033; P_CD4 = 0.014; P_CD8 = 0.004). Indicated CD3⁺ T-cell density in ccRCC tissue was positively correlated with that in peritumour tissue (P = 0.010, r = 0.514), which implied the T cells in peritumour tissue directly infect the number of cells infiltrating in ccRCC tissue. Moreover, there was a positive correlation between Vimentin expression and indicated positive T-cell marker in ccRCC tissue (P_CD3 = 0.035; P_CD4 = 0.020; P_CD8 = 0.027). Advanced stage revealed less CD4⁺ T-cell infiltration in ccRCC tissue (P_CD4 = 0.023). The results from IR-Seq revealed an obvious increase in VJ and VDJ segment usage, as well as higher complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR3) amino acid (aa) clonotypes in ccRCC. The matched antigen recognized by the TCR of ccRCC may be potential targets.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study collectively demonstrates diminished T-cell infiltration and increased CDR3 aa diversity in ccRCC, which may be associated with immunotherapeutic targets for ccRCC patients.

Attenuated T cell activation and rearrangement of T cell receptor β repertoire in silica nanoparticle-induced pulmonary fibrosis of mice

Silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) cause pulmonary fibrosis through a complex immune response, but the underlying mechanisms by which SiNPs interact with T cells and affect their functions remain unclear. The T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire is closely related to T cell activation and proliferation and mediates innate and adaptive immunity. High-throughput sequencing of the TCR enables comprehensive monitoring of the immune microenvironment. Here, the role of the TCRβ repertoire was explored using a mouse model of SiNP-induced pulmonary fibrosis and a co-culture of RAW264.7 and CD4⁺ T cells. Our results demonstrated increased TCRβ expression and decreased CD25 and CD69 expression in CD4⁺ T cells from peripheral blood and lung collected 14 days after the induction of pulmonary fibrosis by SiNPs. Simultaneously, SiNPs significantly decreased CD25 and CD69 expression in CD4⁺ T cells in vitro via RAW264.7 cell presentation. Mechanistically, pLCK and pZap70 expression, involved in mediating T cell activation, were also decreased in the lung of mice with SiNP-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Furthermore, the profile of the TCRβ repertoire in mice with SiNP-induced pulmonary fibrosis showed that SiNPs markedly altered the usage of V genes, VJ gene combinations, and CDR3 amino acids in lung tissue. Collectively, our data suggested that SiNPs could interfere with T cell activation by macrophage presentation via the LCK/Zap70 pathway and rearrange the TCRβ repertoire for adaptive immunity and the pulmonary microenvironment.

Immune response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in relation to peripheral immune cell profiles among patients with multiple sclerosis receiving ocrelizumab

BACKGROUND

Vaccination has proven to be effective in preventing SARS-CoV-2 transmission and severe disease courses. However, immunocompromised patients have not been included in clinical trials and real-world clinical data point to an attenuated immune response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines among patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) receiving immunomodulatory therapies.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective study including 59 ocrelizumab (OCR)-treated patients with MS who received SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. Anti-SARS-CoV-2-antibody titres, routine blood parameters and peripheral immune cell profiles were measured prior to the first (baseline) and at a median of 4 weeks after the second vaccine dose (follow-up). Moreover, the SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell response and peripheral B cell subsets were analysed at follow-up. Finally, vaccination-related adverse events were assessed.

RESULTS

After vaccination, we found anti-SARS-CoV-2(S) antibodies in 27.1% and a SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell response in 92.7% of MS cases. T cell-mediated interferon (IFN)-γ release was more pronounced in patients without anti-SARS-CoV-2(S) antibodies. Antibody titres positively correlated with peripheral B cell counts, time since last infusion and total IgM levels. They negatively correlated with the number of previous infusion cycles. Peripheral plasma cells were increased in antibody-positive patients. A positive correlation between T cell response and peripheral lymphocyte counts was observed. Moreover, IFN-γ release was negatively correlated with the time since the last infusion.

CONCLUSION

In OCR-treated patients with MS, the humoral immune response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination is attenuated while the T cell response is preserved. However, it is still unclear whether T or B cell-mediated immunity is required for effective clinical protection. Nonetheless, given the long-lasting clinical effects of OCR, monitoring of peripheral B cell counts could facilitate individualised treatment regimens and might be used to identify the optimal time to vaccinate.

T-Cell Receptor Repertoire Sequencing and Its Applications: Focus on Infectious Diseases and Cancer

The immune system is a dynamic feature of each individual and a footprint of our unique internal and external exposures. Indeed, the type and level of exposure to physical and biological agents shape the development and behavior of this complex and diffuse system. Many pathological conditions depend on how our immune system responds or does not respond to a pathogen or a disease or on how the regulation of immunity is altered by the disease itself. T-cells are important players in adaptive immunity and, together with B-cells, define specificity and monitor the internal and external signals that our organism perceives through its specific receptors, TCRs and BCRs, respectively. Today, high-throughput sequencing (HTS) applied to the TCR repertoire has opened a window of opportunity to disclose T-cell repertoire development and behavior down to the clonal level. Although TCR repertoire sequencing is easily accessible today, it is important to deeply understand the available technologies for choosing the best fit for the specific experimental needs and questions. Here, we provide an updated overview of TCR repertoire sequencing strategies, providers and applications to infectious diseases and cancer to guide researchers’ choice through the multitude of available options. The possibility of extending the TCR repertoire to HLA characterization will be of pivotal importance in the near future to understand how specific HLA genes shape T-cell responses in different pathological contexts and will add a level of comprehension that was unthinkable just a few years ago.

Machine Learning Approaches to TCR Repertoire Analysis

Sparked by the development of genome sequencing technology, the quantity and quality of data handled in immunological research have been changing dramatically. Various data and database platforms are now driving the rapid progress of machine learning for immunological data analysis. Of various topics in immunology, T cell receptor repertoire analysis is one of the most important targets of machine learning for assessing the state and abnormalities of immune systems. In this paper, we review recent repertoire analysis methods based on machine learning and deep learning and discuss their prospects.

CoVITEST: A Fast and Reliable Method to Monitor Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Specific T Cells From Whole Blood

Cellular and humoral immune responses are essential for COVID-19 recovery and protection against SARS-CoV-2 reinfection. To date, the evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 immune protection has mainly focused on antibody detection, generally disregarding the cellular response, or placing it in a secondary position. This phenomenon may be explained by the complex nature of the assays needed to analyze cellular immunity compared with the technically simple and automated detection of antibodies. Nevertheless, a large body of evidence supports the relevance of the T cell's role in protection against SARS-CoV-2, especially in vulnerable individuals with a weakened immune system (such as the population over 65 and patients with immunodeficiencies). Here we propose to use CoVITEST (Covid19 anti-Viral Immunity based on T cells for Evaluation in a Simple Test), a fast, affordable and accessible in-house assay that, together with a diagnostic matrix, allows us to determine those patients who might be protected with SARS-CoV-2-reactive T cells. The method was established using healthy SARS-CoV-2-naïve donors pre- and post-vaccination (n=30), and further validated with convalescent COVID-19 donors (n=51) in a side-by-side comparison with the gold standard IFN-γ ELISpot. We demonstrated that our CoVITEST presented reliable and comparable results to those obtained with the ELISpot technique in a considerably shorter time (less than 8 hours). In conclusion, we present a simple but reliable assay to determine cellular immunity against SARS-CoV-2 that can be used routinely during this pandemic to monitor the immune status in vulnerable patients and thereby adjust their therapeutic approaches. This method might indeed help to optimize and improve decision-making protocols for re-vaccination against SARS-CoV-2, at least for some population subsets.

Healing Field: Using Alternating Electric Fields to Prevent Cytokine Storm by Suppressing Clonal Expansion of the Activated Lymphocytes in the Blood Sample of the COVID-19 Patients

In the case of the COVID-19 early diagnosis, numerous tech innovations have been introduced, and many are currently employed worldwide. But, all of the medical procedures for the treatment of this disease, up to now, are just limited to chemical drugs. All of the scientists believe that the major challenge toward the mortality of the COVID-19 patients is the out-of-control immune system activation and the subsequent cytokine production. During this process, the adaptive immune system is highly activated, and many of the lymphocytes start to clonally expand; hence many cytokines are also released. So, any attempt to harness this cytokine storm and calm down the immune outrage is appreciated. While the battleground for the immune hyperactivation is the lung ambient of the infected patients, the only medical treatment for suppressing the hypercytokinemia is based on the immunosuppressor drugs that systemically dampen the immunity with many unavoidable side effects. Here, we applied the alternating electric field to suppress the expansion of the highly activated lymphocytes, and by reducing the number of the renewed cells, the produced cytokines were also decreased. Applying this method to the blood of the COVID-19 patients in vitro showed ∼33% reduction in the average concentration of the three main cytokines after 4 days of stimulation. This method could carefully be utilized to locally suppress the hyperactivated immune cells in the lung of the COVID-19 patients without any need for systemic suppression of the immune system by the chemical drugs.

Highly multiplexed immune repertoire sequencing links multiple lymphocyte classes with severity of response to COVID-19

BACKGROUND

Disease progression of subjects with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) varies dramatically. Understanding the various types of immune response to SARS-CoV-2 is critical for better clinical management of coronavirus outbreaks and to potentially improve future therapies. Disease dynamics can be characterized by deciphering the adaptive immune response.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study we analyzed 117 peripheral blood immune repertoires from healthy controls and subjects with mild to severe COVID-19 disease to elucidate the interplay between B and T cells. We used an immune repertoire Primer Extension Target Enrichment method (immunoPETE) to sequence simultaneously human leukocyte antigen (HLA) restricted T cell receptor beta chain (TRB) and unrestricted T cell receptor delta chain (TRD) and immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) immune receptor repertoires. The distribution was analyzed of TRB, TRD and IgH clones between healthy and COVID-19 infected subjects. Using McFadden's Adjusted R2 variables were examined for a predictive model. The aim of this study is to analyze the influence of the adaptive immune repertoire on the severity of the disease (value on the World Health Organization Clinical Progression Scale) in COVID-19.

FINDINGS

Combining clinical metadata with clonotypes of three immune receptor heavy chains (TRB, TRD, and IgH), we found significant associations between COVID-19 disease severity groups and immune receptor sequences of B and T cell compartments. Logistic regression showed an increase in shared IgH clonal types and decrease of TRD in subjects with severe COVID-19. The probability of finding shared clones of TRD clonal types was highest in healthy subjects (controls). Some specific TRB clones seems to be present in severe COVID-19 (Figure S7b). The most informative models (McFadden´s Adjusted R2=0.141) linked disease severity with immune repertoire measures across all three cell types, as well as receptor-specific cell counts, highlighting the importance of multiple lymphocyte classes in disease progression.

INTERPRETATION

Adaptive immune receptor peripheral blood repertoire measures are associated with COVID-19 disease severity.

FUNDING

The study was funded with grants from the Berlin Institute of Health (BIH).

A multicompartment mathematical model based on host immunity for dissecting COVID-19 heterogeneity

The determinants underlying the heterogeneity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remain to be elucidated. To systemically analyze the immunopathogenesis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, we built a multicompartment mathematical model based on immunological principles and typical COVID-19-related characteristics. This model integrated the trafficking of immune cells and cytokines among the secondary lymphoid organs, peripheral blood and lungs. Our results suggested that early-stage lymphopenia was related to lymphocyte chemotaxis, while prolonged lymphopenia in critically ill patients was associated with myeloid-derived suppressor cells. Furthermore, our model predicted that insufficient SARS-CoV-2-specific naïve T/B cell pools and ineffective activation of antigen-presenting cells (APCs) would cause delayed immunity activation, resulting in elevated viral load, low immunoglobulin level, etc. Overall, we provided a comprehensive view of the dynamics of host immunity after SARS-CoV-2 infection that enabled us to understand COVID-19 heterogeneity from systemic perspective.

Utility of Bulk T-Cell Receptor Repertoire Sequencing Analysis in Understanding Immune Responses to COVID-19

Measuring immunity to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), can rely on antibodies, reactive T cells and other factors, with T-cell-mediated responses appearing to have greater sensitivity and longevity. Because each T cell carries an essentially unique nucleic acid sequence for its T-cell receptor (TCR), we can interrogate sequence data derived from DNA or RNA to assess aspects of the immune response. This review deals with the utility of bulk, rather than single-cell, sequencing of TCR repertoires, considering the importance of study design, in terms of cohort selection, laboratory methods and analysis. The advances in understanding SARS-CoV-2 immunity that have resulted from bulk TCR repertoire sequencing are also be discussed. The complexity of sequencing data obtained by bulk repertoire sequencing makes analysis challenging, but simple descriptive analyses, clonal analysis, searches for specific sequences associated with immune responses to SARS-CoV-2, motif-based analyses, and machine learning approaches have all been applied. TCR repertoire sequencing has demonstrated early expansion followed by contraction of SARS-CoV-2-specific clonotypes, during active infection. Maintenance of TCR repertoire diversity, including the maintenance of diversity of anti-SARS-CoV-2 response, predicts a favourable outcome. TCR repertoire narrowing in severe COVID-19 is most likely a consequence of COVID-19-associated lymphopenia. It has been possible to follow clonotypic sequences longitudinally, which has been particularly valuable for clonotypes known to be associated with SARS-CoV-2 peptide/MHC tetramer binding or with SARS-CoV-2 peptide-induced cytokine responses. Closely related clonotypes to these previously identified sequences have been shown to respond with similar kinetics during infection. A possible superantigen-like effect of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein has been identified, by means of observing V-segment skewing in patients with severe COVID-19, together with structural modelling. Such a superantigen-like activity, which is apparently absent from other coronaviruses, may be the basis of multisystem inflammatory syndrome and cytokine storms in COVID-19. Bulk TCR repertoire sequencing has proven to be a useful and cost-effective approach to understanding interactions between SARS-CoV-2 and the human host, with the potential to inform the design of therapeutics and vaccines, as well as to provide invaluable pathogenetic and epidemiological insights.

Molecular signature of postmortem lung tissue from COVID-19 patients suggests distinct trajectories driving mortality

To elucidate the molecular mechanisms that manifest lung abnormalities during severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections, we performed whole-transcriptome sequencing of lung autopsies from 31 patients with severe COVID-19 and ten uninfected controls. Using metatranscriptomics, we identified the existence of two distinct molecular signatures of lethal COVID-19. The dominant 'classical' signature (n=23) showed upregulation of the unfolded protein response, steroid biosynthesis and complement activation, supported by massive metabolic reprogramming leading to characteristic lung damage. The rarer signature (n=8) that potentially represents 'cytokine release syndrome' (CRS) showed upregulation of cytokines such as IL1 and CCL19, but absence of complement activation. We found that a majority of patients cleared SARS-CoV-2 infection, but they suffered from acute dysbiosis with characteristic enrichment of opportunistic pathogens such as Staphylococcus cohnii in 'classical' patients and Pasteurella multocida in CRS patients. Our results suggest two distinct models of lung pathology in severe COVID-19 patients, which can be identified through complement activation, presence of specific cytokines and characteristic microbiome. These findings can be used to design personalized therapy using in silico identified drug molecules or in mitigating specific secondary infections.

Assessing the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines in siponimod-treated patients: a nonrandomized controlled clinical trial (AMA-VACC)

Background:

Systematic data are lacking on the immune response toward SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination in SPMS patients on disease-modifying therapies (DMTs).

Objective:

The AMA-VACC clinical trial was designed to characterize immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines in siponimod-treated SPMS patients.

Design:

AMA-VACC is an ongoing three-cohort, multicenter, open-label, prospective clinical study.

Methods:

The study included patients at risk for SPMS or patients with SPMS diagnosis. Patients received SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine as part of their clinical routine during ongoing siponimod treatment (cohort 1), during siponimod treatment interruption (cohort 2), or while on dimethyl fumarate, glatiramer acetate, beta-interferons, teriflunomide, or no current therapy (cohort 3). SARS-CoV-2-specific neutralizing antibodies and T-cell responses were measured 1 week and 1 month after the second dose of vaccination.

Results:

In total, 17 patients, 4 patients, and 20 patients were recruited into cohorts 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The primary endpoint of seroconversion for SARS-CoV-2-neutralizing antibodies at week 1 was reached by 52.9%, 75.0%, and 90.0% of patients in cohorts 1, 2, and 3, respectively. For 64.7% of patients in cohort 1, all patients in cohort 2, and 95% of patients in cohort 3, seroconversion was observed at either week 1 or month 1 or both time points. After 1 week, 71.4% of cohort 1, 75.0% of cohort 2, and 85.0% of cohort 3 were positive for either SARS-CoV-2-neutralizing antibodies or SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cells or both. After 1 month, the rates were 56.3%, 100.0%, and 95.0%, respectively.

Conclusion:

The study shows that the majority of siponimod patients mount humoral and cellular immune response under continuous siponimod treatment. The data do not sufficiently support interruption of treatment for the purpose of vaccination.

Registration:

EU Clinical Trials Register: EudraCT 2020-005752-38 (www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu); ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04792567 (https://clinicaltrials.gov).

SARS-CoV-2 Host Immunogenetic Biomarkers

SARS-CoV-2 causes generally mild symptoms, with approximately 10-20% of cases progressing to severe disease. The pathophysiologic mechanisms by which SARS-CoV-2 causes severe disease are largely unknown. Data have indicated the involvement of different immunogenetic markers such as HLA, T, and B cells, to be associated with disease outcome. This has led to interest in these genes as potential biomarkers of SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and for predicting prognosis and response to vaccines and other therapeutic strategies. In this chapter, we discussed outline protocols for characterizing these potential biomarkers and methods for identifying SARS-CoV-2 biomarkers using the Luminex^® 100/200 technology and next-generation sequencing.

Targeting metabotropic glutamate receptor 4 for cancer immunotherapy

In this study, we report a novel role of metabotropic glutamate receptor 4 (GRM4) in suppressing antitumor immunity. We revealed in three murine syngeneic tumor models (B16, MC38, and 3LL) that either genetic knockout (Grm4−/−) or pharmacological inhibition led to significant delay in tumor growth. Mechanistically, perturbation of GRM4 resulted in a strong antitumor immunity by promoting natural killer (NK), CD4+, and CD8+ T cells toward an activated, proliferative, and functional phenotype. Single-cell RNA sequencing and T cell receptor profiling further defined the clonal expansion and immune landscape changes in CD8+ T cells. We further showed that Grm4−/− intrinsically activated interferon-γ production in CD8+ T cells through cyclic adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate (cAMP)/cAMP response element binding protein–mediated pathway. Our study appears to be of clinical significance as a signature of NKhigh-GRM4low and CD8high-GRM4low correlated with improved survival in patients with melanoma. Targeting GRM4 represents a new approach for cancer immunotherapy.

Impact of chemotherapy and immunotherapy on the composition and function of immune cells in COVID-19 convalescent with gynecological tumors

Ongoing pandemic and potential resurgence of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has prompted urgent efforts to investigate the immunological memory of convalescent patients, especially in patients with active cancers. Here we performed single-cell RNA sequencing in peripheral blood samples of 3 healthy donors (HDs), 4 COVID-19 patients (Covs) and 4 COVID-19 patients with active gynecological tumor (TCs) pre- and post- anti-tumor treatment. All Covs patients had recovered from their acute infection. Interestingly, the molecular features of PBMCs in TCs are similar to that in Covs, suggesting that convalescent COVID-19 with gynecologic tumors do not have major immunological changes and may be protected against reinfection similar to COVID-19 patients without tumors. Moreover, the chemotherapy given to these patients mainly caused neutropenia, while having little effect on the proportion and functional phenotype of T and B cells, and T cell clonal expansion. Notably, anti-PD-L1 treatment massively increased cytotoxic scores of NK cells, and T cells, and facilitated clonal expansion of T cells in these patients. It is likely that T cells could protect patients from SARS-CoV-2 virus reinfection and anti-PD-L1 treatment can enhance the anti-viral activity of the T cells.

Mutation profile of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and identification of potential multiple epitopes within spike protein for vaccine development against SARS-CoV-2

The COVID-19 pandemic worldwide has resulted in over 176 million cases and roughly 3.8 million deaths so far. We could analyze mutation dynamics across the genome from countries such as the USA, Italy, the UK, France, Brazil, and India considering the rapid mutations of the SARS-CoV-2 genome. The analysis would help us to understand the genome diversity, the implications of the mutations in protein stability, and viral transmission. Among the 11 genes, surface glycoprotein (S) was singled out because of its crucial function associated with the entry of virion into the human cell upon binding with the hACE2 receptor. 749 S protein sequences from India were retrieved from the NCBI database for our study. The S protein is an important antigenic component responsible for inducing host immune responses, neutralizing antibodies, and providing protective immunity against viral infection. During an epitope prediction from a mutation-prone S-protein region, it is necessary to ascertain how new mutations significantly change the S protein, such that our vaccine is effective against all the mutated strains as well. The S1 region of the S protein had been our prime focus for identifying immune epitopes against SARS-COV-2. Antigenic B- cell epitopes were YYPDKVF from NTD and LFRKSNLKP from RBD. Cytotoxic T-cell epitopes WTAGAAAYY (within NTD) and CVADYSVLY (within RBD) exhibited binding with a maximum number of MHC I alleles. The T-cell epitopes which showed a maximum affinity for MHC II alleles were FLPFFSNVT within NTD and YFPLQSYGF within RBD. Furthermore, the best epitopes were characterized in terms of their physicochemical properties to establish their potentiality.

Hallmarks of immune response in COVID-19: Exploring dysregulation and exhaustion

One and half year following the occurrence of COVID-19 pandemic, significant efforts from laboratories all over the world generated a huge amount of data describing the prototypical features of immunity in the course of SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this Review, we rationalize and organize the main observations, trying to define a “core” signature of immunity in COVID-19. We identified six hallmarks describing the main alterations occurring in the early infection phase and in the course of the disease, which predispose to severe illness. The six hallmarks are dysregulated type I IFN activity, hyperinflammation, lymphopenia, lymphocyte impairment, dysregulated myeloid response, and heterogeneous adaptive immunity to SARS-CoV-2. Dysregulation and exhaustion came out as the trait d’union, connecting abnormalities affecting both innate and adaptive immunity, humoral and cellular responses.

T-cell receptor repertoires as potential diagnostic markers for patients with COVID-19

Objective

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is an ongoing global health emergency. T-cell receptors (TCRs) are crucial mediators of antiviral adaptive immunity. This study sought to comprehensively characterize the TCR repertoire changes in patients with COVID-19.

Methods

A large sample size multi-center randomized controlled trial was implemented to study the features of the TCR repertoire and identify COVID-19 disease-related TCR sequences.

Results

It was found that some T-cell receptor beta chain (TCRβ) features differed markedly between COVID-19 patients and healthy controls, including decreased repertoire diversity, longer complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR3) length, skewed utilization of the TCRβ variable gene/joining gene (TRBV/J), and a high degree of TCRβ sharing in COVID-19 patients. Moreover, this analysis showed that TCR repertoire diversity declines with aging, which may be a cause of the higher infection and mortality rates in elderly patients. Importantly, a set of TCRβ clones that can distinguish COVID-19 patients from healthy controls with high accuracy was identified. Notably, this diagnostic model demonstrates 100% specificity and 82.68% sensitivity at 0–3 days post diagnosis.

Conclusions

This study lays the foundation for immunodiagnosis and the development of medicines and vaccines for COVID-19 patients.

Immunodominance complexity: lessons yet to be learned from dominant T cell responses to SARS-COV-2

Immunodominance is a complex and highly debated topic of T cell biology. The current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has provided the opportunity to profile adaptive immune responses and determine molecular factors contributing to emerging responses towards immunodominant viral epitopes. Here, we discuss parameters that alter the dynamics of CD8 viral epitope processing, generation and T-cell responses, and how immunodominance counteracts viral immune escape mechanisms that develop in the context of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Landscape of T-cell repertoires with public COVID-19-associated T-cell receptors in pre-pandemic risk cohorts

Objectives

T cells have an essential role in the antiviral defence. Public T-cell receptor (TCR) clonotypes are expanded in a substantial proportion of COVID-19 patients. We set out to exploit their potential use as read-out for COVID-19 T-cell immune responses.

Methods

We searched for COVID-19-associated T-cell clones with public TCRs, as defined by identical complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR3) beta chain amino acid sequence that can be reproducibly detected in the blood of COVID-19 patients. Of the different clonotype identification algorithms used in this study, deep sequencing of brain tissue of five patients with fatal COVID-19 delivered 68 TCR clonotypes with superior representation across 140 immune repertoires of unrelated COVID-19 patients.

Results

Mining of immune repertoires from subjects not previously exposed to the virus showed that these clonotypes can be found in almost 20% of pre-pandemic immune repertoires of healthy subjects, with lower representation in repertoires from risk groups like individuals above the age of 60 years or patients with cancer.

Conclusion

Together, our data show that at least a proportion of the SARS-CoV-2 T-cell response is mediated by public TCRs that are present in repertoires of unexposed individuals. The lower representation of these clones in repertoires of risk groups or failure to expand such clones may contribute to more unfavorable clinical COVID-19 courses.

Promising role of curcumin against viral diseases emphasizing COVID-19 management: A review on the mechanistic insights with reference to host-pathogen interaction and immunomodulation

Curcumin has already acknowledged immense interest from both medical and scientific research because of its multifaceted activity. To date, the promising effects of curcumin were perceived against numerous inflammatory diseases. Besides, curcumin's role as a medicine has been studied in many virus infections like influenza, HIV, etc. There is a need to analyze the cellular mechanisms of curcumin including host-pathogen interaction and immunomodulatory effects, to explore the role of curcumin against COVID-19. With this background, our study suggests that curcumin can prevent COVID-19 infections by inhibiting the pathogen entry, viral genome replication and steps in the endosomal pathway along with inhibition of T-cell signalling by impairing the autophagy-mediated antigen-presenting pathway. This review explicit the possible mechanisms behind curcumin-induced cellular immunity and a therapeutive dosage of curcumin suggesting a preventive strategy against COVID-19.

Comprehensive analysis of TCR repertoire in COVID-19 using single cell sequencing

T-cell receptor (TCR) is crucial in T cell-mediated virus clearance. To date, TCR bias has been observed in various diseases. However, studies on the TCR repertoire of COVID-19 patients are lacking. Here, we used single-cell V(D)J sequencing to conduct comparative analyses of TCR repertoire between 12 COVID-19 patients and 6 healthy controls, as well as other virus-infected samples. We observed distinct T cell clonal expansion in COVID-19. Further analysis of VJ gene combination revealed 6 VJ pairs significantly increased, while 139 pairs significantly decreased in COVID-19 patients. When considering the VJ combination of α and β chains at the same time, the combination with the highest frequency on COVID-19 was TRAV12-2-J27-TRBV7-9-J2-3. Besides, preferential usage of V and J gene segments was also observed in samples infected by different viruses. Our study provides novel insights on TCR in COVID-19, which contribute to our understanding of the immune response induced by SARS-CoV-2.

Association of HLA Class I Genotypes With Severity of Coronavirus Disease-19

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I molecules play a crucial role in the development of a specific immune response to viral infections by presenting viral peptides at the cell surface where they will be further recognized by T cells. In the present manuscript, we explored whether HLA class I genotypes can be associated with the critical course of Coronavirus Disease-19 by searching possible connections between genotypes of deceased patients and their age at death. HLA-A, HLA-B, and HLA-C genotypes of n = 111 deceased patients with COVID-19 (Moscow, Russia) and n = 428 volunteers were identified with next-generation sequencing. Deceased patients were split into two groups according to age at the time of death: n = 26 adult patients aged below 60 and n = 85 elderly patients over 60. With the use of HLA class I genotypes, we developed a risk score (RS) which was associated with the ability to present severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) peptides by the HLA class I molecule set of an individual. The resulting RS was significantly higher in the group of deceased adults compared to elderly adults [p = 0.00348, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC ROC = 0.68)]. In particular, presence of HLA-A*01:01 allele was associated with high risk, while HLA-A*02:01 and HLA-A*03:01 mainly contributed to low risk. The analysis of patients with homozygosity strongly highlighted these results: homozygosity by HLA-A*01:01 accompanied early deaths, while only one HLA-A*02:01 homozygote died before 60 years of age. Application of the constructed RS model to an independent Spanish patients cohort (n = 45) revealed that the score was also associated with the severity of the disease. The obtained results suggest the important role of HLA class I peptide presentation in the development of a specific immune response to COVID-19.

Evaluating SARS-CoV-2 spike and nucleocapsid proteins as targets for antibody detection in severe and mild COVID-19 cases using a Luminex bead-based assay

Large-scale serosurveillance of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) will only be possible if serological tests are sufficiently reliable, rapid and affordable. Many assays are either labour-intensive and require specialised facilities (e.g. virus neutralization assays), or are expensive with suboptimal specificity (e.g. commercial ELISAs and RDTs). Bead-based assays offer a cost-effective alternative and allow for multiplexing to test for antibodies against multiple antigens and against other pathogens. Here, we compare the performance of spike (S) and nucleocapsid (NP) antigens for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG, IgM and IgA antibodies in a panel of sera that includes recent (up to six weeks after symptom onset, severe n = 44; and mild cases n = 52) and old infections (five months after symptom onset, mild n = 104), using a Luminex-bead based assay and comparison to a virus neutralization test. While we show that neutralizing antibody levels are significantly lower in mild than in severe cases, we demonstrate that a combination of the recombinant nucleocapsid protein (NP) and receptor-binding domain (RBD) results in highly specific (99 %) IgG antibody detection five months after infection in 96 % of cases. Although most severe Covid-19 cases developed a clear IgM and IgA response, titers fell below the detection threshold in more than 20 % of mild cases in our bead-based assay. In conclusion, our data supports the use of RBD and NP for the development of SARS-CoV-2 serological IgG bead-based assays.

Understanding the genetic determinant of severity in viral diseases: a case of SARS-Cov-2 infection

Background

Numerous research studies have identified specific human gene variants that affect enhanced susceptibility to viral infections. More recently is the current pandemic where the SARS-CoV-2 infection has shown a high degree of person-to-person clinical variability. A wide range of disease severity occurs in the patients' experiences, from asymptomatic cases, mild infections to serious life threatening conditions requiring admission into the intensive care unit (ICU).

Main body of the abstract

Although, it is generally reported that age and co-morbidities contribute significantly to the variations in the clinical outcome of the scourge of COVID-19, a hypothetical question of the possibility of genetic involvement in the susceptibility and severity of the disease arose when some unique severe outcomes were seen among young patients with no co-morbidity. The role human genetics play in clinical response to the viral infections is scarcely understood; however, several ongoing researches all around the world are currently focusing on possible genetic factors. This review reports the possible genetic factors that have been widely studied in defining the severity of viral infections using SARS-CoV-2 as a case study. These involve the possible involvements of ACE2, HLA, and TLR genes such as TLR7 and TLR3 in the presentation of a more severe condition.

Short conclusion

Understanding these variations could help to inform efforts to identify people at increased risk of infection outbreaks through genetic diagnosis of infections by locating disease genes or mutations that predispose patients to severe infection. This will also suggest specific targets for therapy and prophylaxis.

Identifying epitopes for cluster of differentiation and design of new peptides inhibitors against human SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD by an in-silico approach

The coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) is a highly contagious and rapidly spreading infection caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In some cases, the disease can be fatal which resulted in more than one million deaths worldwide according the WHO. Currently, there is no effective vaccine or treatment for COVID-19, however many small-molecule inhibitors have shown potent antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 and some of them are now under clinical trials. Despite their promising activities, the development of these small molecules for the clinical use can be limited by many factors like the off-target effect, the poor stability, and the low bioavailability. The clusters of differentiation CD147, CD209, CD299 have been identified as essential entry co-receptors for SARS-CoV-2 species specificity to humans, although the underlying mechanisms are yet to be fully elucidated. In this paper, protein-protein docking was utilized for identifying the critical epitopes in CD147, CD209 and CD299 which are involved in the binding with SARS-CoV-2 Spike receptor binding domain (RBD). The results of binding free energies showed a high affinity of SARS-CoV-2 RBD to CD299 receptor which was used as a reference to derive hypothetical peptide sequences with specific binding activities to SARS-CoV-2 RBD. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations of the newly designed peptides showed favorable binding features and stability with SARS-CoV-2 RBD and therefore can be further considered as potential candidates in future anti-SARS CoV-2 drug discovery studies.

Immune responses during COVID-19 infection

Over the past 16 years, three coronaviruses (CoVs), severe acute respiratory syndrome CoV (SARS-CoV) in 2002, Middle East respiratory syndrome CoV (MERS-CoV) in 2012 and 2015, and SARS-CoV-2 in 2020, have been causing severe and fatal human epidemics. The unpredictability of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) poses a major burden on health care and economic systems across the world. This is caused by the paucity of in-depth knowledge of the risk factors for severe COVID-19, insufficient diagnostic tools for the detection of SARS-CoV-2, as well as the absence of specific and effective drug treatments. While protective humoral and cellular immune responses are usually mounted against these betacoronaviruses, immune responses to SARS-CoV2 sometimes derail towards inflammatory tissue damage, leading to rapid admissions to intensive care units. The lack of knowledge on mechanisms that tilt the balance between these two opposite outcomes poses major threats to many ongoing clinical trials dealing with immunostimulatory or immunoregulatory therapeutics. This review will discuss innate and cognate immune responses underlying protective or deleterious immune reactions against these pathogenic coronaviruses.