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van der Neut Kolfschoten M, Inganäs H, Perez-Peinado C, Calado da Silva Freire J, Melchers JM, van Dijk N, Przeradzka M, Kourkouta E, van Manen D, Vellinga J, Custers J, Bos R. Biophysical studies do not reveal direct interactions between human PF4 and Ad26.COV2.S vaccine. J Thromb Haemost 2024; 22:1046-1055. [PMID: 38159648 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtha.2023.12.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND COVID-19 vaccines have been widely used to control the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. In individuals receiving replication-incompetent, adenovirus vector-based COVID-19 vaccines (eg, ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 [AstraZeneca] or Ad26.COV2.S [Johnson & Johnson/Janssen] vaccines), a very rare but serious adverse reaction has been reported and described as vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT). The exact mechanism of VITT following Ad26.COV2.S vaccination is under investigation. Antibodies directed against human platelet factor 4 (PF4) are considered critical in the pathogenesis of VITT, suggesting similarities with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. It has been postulated that components of these vaccines mimic the role of heparin by binding to PF4, triggering production of these anti-PF4 antibodies. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to investigate the potential interaction between human PF4 and Ad26.COV2.S vaccine using several biophysical techniques. METHODS Direct interaction of PF4 with Ad26.COV2.S vaccine was investigated using dynamic light scattering, biolayer interferometry, and surface plasmon resonance. For both biosensing methods, the Ad26.COV2.S vaccine was immobilized to the sensor surface and PF4 was used as analyte. RESULTS No direct interactions between PF4 and Ad26.COV2.S vaccine could be detected using dynamic light scattering and biolayer interferometry. Surface plasmon resonance technology was shown to be unsuitable to investigate these types of interactions. CONCLUSION Our findings make it very unlikely that direct binding of PF4 to Ad26.COV2.S vaccine or components thereof is driving the onset of VITT, although the occurrence of such interactions after immunization (potentially facilitated by unknown plasma or cellular factors) cannot be excluded. Further research is warranted to improve the understanding of the full mechanism of this adverse reaction.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hanna Inganäs
- Janssen Vaccines & Prevention B.V., Leiden, South Holland, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Jelle M Melchers
- Janssen Vaccines & Prevention B.V., Leiden, South Holland, The Netherlands
| | - Nelie van Dijk
- Janssen Vaccines & Prevention B.V., Leiden, South Holland, The Netherlands
| | | | - Eleni Kourkouta
- Janssen Vaccines & Prevention B.V., Leiden, South Holland, The Netherlands
| | - Danielle van Manen
- Janssen Vaccines & Prevention B.V., Leiden, South Holland, The Netherlands
| | - Jort Vellinga
- Janssen Vaccines & Prevention B.V., Leiden, South Holland, The Netherlands
| | - Jerome Custers
- Janssen Vaccines & Prevention B.V., Leiden, South Holland, The Netherlands
| | - Rinke Bos
- Janssen Vaccines & Prevention B.V., Leiden, South Holland, The Netherlands.
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Nguyen TH, Chen LY, Khan NZ, Lindenbauer A, Bui VC, Zipfel PF, Heinrich D. The Binding of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein to Platelet Factor 4: A Proposed Mechanism for the Generation of Pathogenic Antibodies. Biomolecules 2024; 14:245. [PMID: 38540666 PMCID: PMC10967930 DOI: 10.3390/biom14030245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic platelet factor 4 (PF4) antibodies contributed to the abnormal coagulation profiles in COVID-19 and vaccinated patients. However, the mechanism of what triggers the body to produce these antibodies has not yet been clarified. Similar patterns and many comparable features between the COVID-19 virus and heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) have been reported. Previously, we identified a new mechanism of autoimmunity in HIT in which PF4-antibodies self-clustered PF4 and exposed binding epitopes for other pathogenic PF4/eparin antibodies. Here, we first proved that the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (SP) also binds to PF4. The binding was evidenced by the increase in mass and optical intensity as observed through quartz crystal microbalance and immunosorbent assay, while the switching of the surface zeta potential caused by protein interactions and binding affinity of PF4-SP were evaluated by dynamic light scattering and isothermal spectral shift analysis. Based on our results, we proposed a mechanism for the generation of PF4 antibodies in COVID-19 patients. We further validated the changes in zeta potential and interaction affinity between PF4 and SP and found that their binding mechanism differs from ACE2-SP binding. Importantly, the PF4/SP complexes facilitate the binding of anti-PF4/Heparin antibodies. Our findings offer a fresh perspective on PF4 engagement with the SARS-CoV-2 SP, illuminating the role of PF4/SP complexes in severe thrombotic events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thi-Huong Nguyen
- Institute for Bioprocessing and Analytical Measurement Techniques (iba), 37308 Heilbad Heiligenstadt, Germany
- Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Technische Universität Ilmenau, 98694 Ilmenau, Germany
| | - Li-Yu Chen
- Institute for Bioprocessing and Analytical Measurement Techniques (iba), 37308 Heilbad Heiligenstadt, Germany
- Institute of Miccrobiology, Friedrich-Schiller-University, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Nida Zaman Khan
- Institute for Bioprocessing and Analytical Measurement Techniques (iba), 37308 Heilbad Heiligenstadt, Germany
- Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Technische Universität Ilmenau, 98694 Ilmenau, Germany
| | - Annerose Lindenbauer
- Institute for Bioprocessing and Analytical Measurement Techniques (iba), 37308 Heilbad Heiligenstadt, Germany
| | - Van-Chien Bui
- Department of Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment, Eichsfeldwerke GmbH, 37308 Heilbad Heiligenstadt, Germany
| | - Peter F. Zipfel
- Institute of Miccrobiology, Friedrich-Schiller-University, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Doris Heinrich
- Institute for Bioprocessing and Analytical Measurement Techniques (iba), 37308 Heilbad Heiligenstadt, Germany
- Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Technische Universität Ilmenau, 98694 Ilmenau, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institut für Silicatforschung, Neunerplatz, 97082 Würzburg, Germany
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3
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Soliman SA, Stanley S, Vanarsa K, Ismail F, Mok CC, Mohan C. Exploring urine:serum fractional excretion ratios as potential biomarkers for lupus nephritis. Front Immunol 2022; 13:910993. [PMID: 36091001 PMCID: PMC9449537 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.910993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives The goal of this exploratory study is to determine if urine:serum fractional excretion ratios can outperform the corresponding urinary biomarker proteins in identifying active renal disease in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods Thirty-six adult SLE patients and twelve healthy controls were examined for serum and urine levels of 8 protein markers, namely ALCAM, calpastatin, hemopexin, peroxiredoxin 6 (PRDX6), platelet factor 4 (PF4), properdin, TFPI and VCAM-1, by ELISA. Fractional excretion of analyzed biomarkers was calculated after normalizing both the urine and serum biomarker levels against creatinine. A further validation cohort of fifty SLE patients was included to validate the initial findings. Results The FE ratios of all 8 proteins interrogated outperformed conventional disease activity markers such as anti-dsDNA, C3 and C4 in identifying renal disease activity. All but VCAM-1FE were superior to the corresponding urine biomarkers levels in differentiating LN activity, exhibiting positive correlation with renal SLEDAI. ALCAMFE, PF4FE and properdinFE ratios exhibited the highest accuracy (AUC>0.9) in distinguishing active LN from inactive SLE. Four of the FE ratios exhibited perfect sensitivity (calpastatin, PRDX6, PF4 and properdin), while ALCAMFE, PF4FE and properdinFE exhibited the highest specificity values for active LN. In addition, several of these novel biomarkers were associated with higher renal pathology activity indices. In the validation cohort ALCAMFE, PF4FE and properdinFE once again exhibited higher accuracy metrics, surpassing corresponding urine and serum biomarkers levels, with ALCAMFE exhibiting 95% accuracy in distinguishing active LN from inactive SLE. Conclusions With most of the tested proteins, urine:serum fractional excretion ratios outperformed corresponding urine and serum protein measurements in identifying active renal involvement in SLE. Hence, this novel class of biomarkers in SLE ought to be systemically evaluated in larger independent cohorts for their diagnostic utility in LN assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samar A. Soliman
- Department of Rheumatology & Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, Minia, Egypt
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Samantha Stanley
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Kamala Vanarsa
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Faten Ismail
- Department of Rheumatology & Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, Minia, Egypt
| | - Chi Chiu Mok
- Department of Medicine, Tuen Mun Hospital, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Chandra Mohan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
- *Correspondence: Chandra Mohan,
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Chen LY, Khan N, Lindenbauer A, Nguyen TH. When Will Fondaparinux Induce Thrombocytopenia? Bioconjug Chem 2022; 33:1574-1583. [PMID: 35878320 PMCID: PMC9390334 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.2c00316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The pentasaccharide Fondaparinux, a synthetic selective factor Xa inhibitor, is one of the safest anticoagulants in the heparin family that is recommended as an alternative drug for patients with hypersensitivity to other drugs such as heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). However, some observations of Fondaparinux-induced thrombocytopenia (FIT) have been reported while others claimed that FIT does not occur in patients with fondaparinux therapy, indicating that the mechanism of FIT remains controversial. Here, we utilized different methodologies including dynamic light scattering, immunosorbent and platelet aggregation assays, confocal laser scanning microscopy, and flow cytometry to gain insights into FIT. We found that at a certain concentration, Fondaparinux formed sufficient large and stable complexes with PF4 that facilitated binding of the HIT-like monoclonal KKO antibody and enhanced platelet aggregation and activation. We proposed a model to describe the role of Fondaparinux concentration in the formation of complexes with platelet factor 4 and how it promotes the binding of KKO. Our results clarify controversial observations of FIT in patients as each contains a dissimilar PF4:Fondaparinux concentration ratio.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Yu Chen
- Institute for Bioprocessing and Analytical Measurement Techniques, 37308 Heiligenstadt, Germany.,Department of Infection Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Nida Khan
- Institute for Bioprocessing and Analytical Measurement Techniques, 37308 Heiligenstadt, Germany.,Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Technische Universität Ilmenau, 98694 Ilmenau, Germany
| | - Annerose Lindenbauer
- Institute for Bioprocessing and Analytical Measurement Techniques, 37308 Heiligenstadt, Germany
| | - Thi-Huong Nguyen
- Institute for Bioprocessing and Analytical Measurement Techniques, 37308 Heiligenstadt, Germany.,Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Technische Universität Ilmenau, 98694 Ilmenau, Germany
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5
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Soliman SA, Haque A, Vanarsa K, Zhang T, Ismail F, Lee KH, Pedroza C, Greenbaum LA, Mason S, Hicks MJ, Wenderfer SE, Mohan C. Urine ALCAM, PF4 and VCAM-1 Surpass Conventional Metrics in Identifying Nephritis Disease Activity in Childhood-Onset Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. Front Immunol 2022; 13:885307. [PMID: 35720325 PMCID: PMC9204340 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.885307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives Serial kidney biopsy for repeat evaluation and monitoring of lupus nephritis (LN) in childhood-onset Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (cSLE) remains challenging, thus non-invasive biomarkers are needed. Here, we evaluate the performance of ten urine protein markers of diverse nature including cytokines, chemokines, and adhesion molecules in distinguishing disease activity in cSLE. Methods Eighty-four pediatric patients meeting ≥4 ACR criteria for SLE were prospectively enrolled for urine assay of 10 protein markers normalized to urine creatinine, namely ALCAM, cystatin-C, hemopexin, KIM-1, MCP-1, NGAL, PF-4, Timp-1, TWEAK, and VCAM-1 by ELISA. Samples from active renal (LN) and active non-renal SLE patients were obtained prior to onset/escalation of immunosuppression. SLE disease activity was evaluated using SLEDAI-2000. 59 patients had clinically-active SLE (SLEDAI score ≥4 or having a flare), of whom 29 patients (34.5%) were classified as active renal, and 30 patients (35.7%) were active non-renal. Twenty-five healthy subjects were recruited as controls. Results Urine concentrations of ALCAM, KIM-1, PF4 and VCAM-1 were significantly increased in active LN patients versus active non-renal SLE, inactive SLE and healthy controls. Five urine proteins differed significantly between 2 (hemopexin, NGAL, MCP1) or 3 (Cystatin-C, TWEAK) groups only, with the highest levels detected in active LN patients. Urine ALCAM, VCAM-1, PF4 and hemopexin correlated best with total SLEDAI as well as renal-SLEDAI scores (p < 0.05). Urine ALCAM, VCAM-1 and hemopexin outperformed conventional laboratory measures (anti-dsDNA, complement C3 and C4) in identifying concurrent SLE disease activity among patients (AUCs 0.75, 0.81, 0.81 respectively), while urine ALCAM, VCAM-1 and PF4 were the best discriminators of renal disease activity in cSLE (AUCs 0.83, 0.88, 0.78 respectively), surpassing conventional biomarkers, including proteinuria. Unsupervised Bayesian network analysis based on conditional probabilities re-affirmed urine ALCAM as being most predictive of active LN in cSLE patients. Conclusion Urinary ALCAM, PF4, and VCAM-1 are potential biomarkers for predicting kidney disease activity in cSLE and hold potential as surrogate markers of nephritis flares in these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samar A Soliman
- Rheumatology and Rehabilitation Department, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, Minia, Egypt.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston TX, United States
| | - Anam Haque
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston TX, United States
| | - Kamala Vanarsa
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston TX, United States
| | - Ting Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston TX, United States
| | - Faten Ismail
- Rheumatology and Rehabilitation Department, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, Minia, Egypt
| | - Kyung Hyun Lee
- Center for Clinical Research and Evidence-Based Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Claudia Pedroza
- Center for Clinical Research and Evidence-Based Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | | | - Sherene Mason
- Connecticut Children's Medical Center, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Hartford, CT, United States
| | - M John Hicks
- Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Scott E Wenderfer
- Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Chandra Mohan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston TX, United States
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Douxfils J, Favresse J, Dogné JM, Lecompte T, Susen S, Cordonnier C, Lebreton A, Gosselin R, Sié P, Pernod G, Gruel Y, Nguyen P, Vayne C, Mullier F. Hypotheses behind the very rare cases of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. Thromb Res 2021; 203:163-171. [PMID: 34029848 PMCID: PMC8123522 DOI: 10.1016/j.thromres.2021.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
As of 4 April 2021, a total of 169 cases of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) and 53 cases of splanchnic vein thrombosis were reported to EudraVigilance among around 34 million people vaccinated in the European Economic Area and United Kingdom with COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca, a chimpanzee adenoviral vector (ChAdOx1) encoding the spike protein antigen of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The first report of the European Medicines Agency gathering data on 20 million people vaccinated with Vaxzevria® in the UK and the EEA concluded that the number of post-vaccination cases with thromboembolic events as a whole reported to EudraVigilance in relation to the number of people vaccinated was lower than the estimated rate of such events in the general population. However, the EMA's Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee concluded that unusual thromboses with low blood platelets should be listed as very rare side effects of Vaxzevria®, pointing to a possible link. The same issue was identified with the COVID-19 Vaccine Janssen (Ad26.COV2.S). Currently, there is still a sharp contrast between the clinical or experimental data reported in the literature on COVID-19 and the scarcity of data on the unusual thrombotic events observed after the vaccination with these vaccines. Different hypotheses might support these observations and should trigger further in vitro and ex vivo investigations. Specialized studies were needed to fully understand the potential relationship between vaccination and possible risk factors in order to implement risk minimization strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Douxfils
- University of Namur, Department of Pharmacy, Namur Research for Life Sciences, Namur Thrombosis and Hemostasis Center, Namur, Belgium; QUALIblood s.a., Namur, Belgium.
| | - Julien Favresse
- University of Namur, Department of Pharmacy, Namur Research for Life Sciences, Namur Thrombosis and Hemostasis Center, Namur, Belgium; Clinique Saint-Luc Bouge, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Bouge, Belgium
| | - Jean-Michel Dogné
- University of Namur, Department of Pharmacy, Namur Research for Life Sciences, Namur Thrombosis and Hemostasis Center, Namur, Belgium
| | - Thomas Lecompte
- Départements de Médecine, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève, service d'angiologie et d'hémostase et Faculté de Médecine, Geneva Platelet Group (GpG), Université de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sophie Susen
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1011- EGID, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Charlotte Cordonnier
- Univ Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, U1172 - LilNCog - Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Aurélien Lebreton
- Service d'hématologie biologique, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Robert Gosselin
- University of California, Davis Health System, Thrombosis and Hemostasis Center, Sacramento, United States
| | - Pierre Sié
- University Paul Sabatier, CHU of Toulouse, Laboratory of Hematology, F-31069 Toulouse, France
| | - Gilles Pernod
- CHU Grenoble Alpes, Department of Vascular Medicine, CNRS/TIMC-IMAG UMR 5525/Themas, Grenoble, France
| | - Yves Gruel
- University of Tours, EA7501 GICC, CHRU de Tours, Department of Haemostasis, Tours, France
| | | | - Caroline Vayne
- University of Tours, EA7501 GICC, CHRU de Tours, Department of Haemostasis, Tours, France
| | - François Mullier
- CHU UCL Namur, Université catholique de Louvain, Hematology Laboratory, Namur Research for Life Sciences, Namur Thrombosis and Hemostasis Center, Yvoir, Belgium
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