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Steiner S, Schwarz T, Corman VM, Gebert L, Kleinschmidt MC, Wald A, Gläser S, Kruse JM, Zickler D, Peric A, Meisel C, Meyer T, Staudacher OL, Wittke K, Kedor C, Bauer S, Besher NA, Kalus U, Pruß A, Drosten C, Volk HD, Scheibenbogen C, Hanitsch LG. SARS-CoV-2 T Cell Response in Severe and Fatal COVID-19 in Primary Antibody Deficiency Patients Without Specific Humoral Immunity. Front Immunol 2022; 13:840126. [PMID: 35359967 PMCID: PMC8960624 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.840126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 is increased in patients with inborn errors of immunity (IEI). Age and comorbidities and also impaired type I interferon immunity were identified as relevant risk factors. In patients with primary antibody deficiency (PAD) and lack of specific humoral immune response to SARS-CoV-2, clinical disease outcome is very heterogeneous. Despite extensive clinical reports, underlying immunological mechanisms are poorly characterized and levels of T cellular and innate immunity in severe cases remain to be determined. In the present study, we report clinical and immunological findings of 5 PAD patients with severe and fatal COVID-19 and undetectable specific humoral immune response to SARS-CoV-2. Reactive T cells to SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) and nucleocapsid (NCAP) peptide pools were analyzed comparatively by flow cytometry in PAD patients, convalescents and naïve healthy individuals. All examined PAD patients developed a robust T cell response. The presence of polyfunctional cytokine producing activated CD4+ T cells indicates a memory-like phenotype. An analysis of innate immune response revealed elevated CD169 (SIGLEC1) expression on monocytes, a surrogate marker for type I interferon response, and presence of type I interferon autoantibodies was excluded. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detectable in peripheral blood in three severe COVID-19 patients with PAD. Viral clearance in blood was observed after treatment with COVID-19 convalescent plasma/monoclonal antibody administration. However, prolonged mucosal viral shedding was observed in all patients (median 67 days) with maximum duration of 127 days. PAD patients without specific humoral SARS-CoV-2 immunity may suffer from severe or fatal COVID-19 despite robust T cell and normal innate immune response. Intensified monitoring for long persistence of SARS-CoV-2 viral shedding and (prophylactic) convalescent plasma/specific IgG as beneficial treatment option in severe cases with RNAemia should be considered in seronegative PAD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Steiner
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1 and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tatjana Schwarz
- Institute of Virology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and German Centre for Infection Research, Associated Partner, Charitéplatz 1, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin Institute of Health at Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Victor M Corman
- Institute of Virology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and German Centre for Infection Research, Associated Partner, Charitéplatz 1, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin Institute of Health at Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Laura Gebert
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1 and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Malte C Kleinschmidt
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Respiratory Medicine, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexandra Wald
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sven Gläser
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Vivantes-Klinikum Neukölln, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jan M Kruse
- Department of Nephrology and Medical Intensive Care, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Daniel Zickler
- Department of Nephrology and Medical Intensive Care, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexander Peric
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Vivantes-Klinikum Friedrichshain, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian Meisel
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1 and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Immunology, Labor Berlin GmbH, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tim Meyer
- Department of Immunology, Labor Berlin GmbH, Berlin, Germany
| | - Olga L Staudacher
- Department of Immunology, Labor Berlin GmbH, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Pediatric Respiratory Medicine, Immunology and Critical Care Medicine, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kirsten Wittke
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1 and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Claudia Kedor
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1 and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sandra Bauer
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1 and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nabeel Al Besher
- Institute of Transfusion Medicine, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ulrich Kalus
- Institute of Transfusion Medicine, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Axel Pruß
- Institute of Transfusion Medicine, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian Drosten
- Institute of Virology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and German Centre for Infection Research, Associated Partner, Charitéplatz 1, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin Institute of Health at Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hans-Dieter Volk
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1 and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin Institute of Health at Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies, Charitéplatz 1, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Carmen Scheibenbogen
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1 and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin Institute of Health at Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies, Charitéplatz 1, Berlin, Germany
| | - Leif G Hanitsch
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1 and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
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Schlickeiser S, Schwarz T, Steiner S, Wittke K, Al Besher N, Meyer O, Kalus U, Pruß A, Kurth F, Zoller T, Witzenrath M, Sander LE, Müller MA, Scheibenbogen C, Volk HD, Drosten C, Corman VM, Hanitsch LG. Disease Severity, Fever, Age, and Sex Correlate With SARS-CoV-2 Neutralizing Antibody Responses. Front Immunol 2021; 11:628971. [PMID: 33584731 PMCID: PMC7878374 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.628971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Clinical trials on the use of COVID-19 convalescent plasma remain inconclusive. While data on safety is increasingly available, evidence for efficacy is still sparse. Subgroup analyses hint to a dose-response relationship between convalescent plasma neutralizing antibody levels and mortality. In particular, patients with primary and secondary antibody deficiency might benefit from this approach. However, testing of neutralizing antibodies is limited to specialized biosafety level 3 laboratories and is a time- and labor-intense procedure. In this single center study of 206 COVID-19 convalescent patients, clinical data, results of commercially available ELISA testing of SARS-CoV-2 spike-IgG and -IgA, and levels of neutralizing antibodies, determined by plaque reduction neutralization testing (PRNT), were analyzed. At a medium time point of 58 days after symptom onset, only 12.6% of potential plasma donors showed high levels of neutralizing antibodies (PRNT50 ≥ 1:320). Multivariable proportional odds logistic regression analysis revealed need for hospitalization due to COVID-19 (odds ratio 6.87; p-value 0.0004) and fever (odds ratio 3.00; p-value 0.0001) as leading factors affecting levels of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody titers in convalescent plasma donors. Using penalized estimation, a predictive proportional odds logistic regression model including the most important variables hospitalization, fever, age, sex, and anosmia or dysgeusia was developed. The predictive discrimination for PRNT50 ≥ 1:320 was reasonably good with AUC: 0.86 (with 95% CI: 0.79-0.92). Combining clinical and ELISA-based pre-screening, assessment of neutralizing antibodies could be spared in 75% of potential donors with a maximal loss of 10% of true positives (PRNT50 ≥ 1:320).
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Schlickeiser
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tatjana Schwarz
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Virology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, and German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Charité, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sophie Steiner
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kirsten Wittke
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nabeel Al Besher
- Institute of Transfusion Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Oliver Meyer
- Institute of Transfusion Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ulrich Kalus
- Institute of Transfusion Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Axel Pruß
- Institute of Transfusion Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Florian Kurth
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Respiratory Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Zoller
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Respiratory Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin Witzenrath
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Respiratory Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
- German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Partner Site Charité, Berlin, Germany
| | - Leif Erik Sander
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Respiratory Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
- German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Partner Site Charité, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marcel A. Müller
- Institute of Virology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, and German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Charité, Berlin, Germany
| | - Carmen Scheibenbogen
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hans-Dieter Volk
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian Drosten
- Institute of Virology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, and German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Charité, Berlin, Germany
| | - Victor M. Corman
- Institute of Virology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, and German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Charité, Berlin, Germany
| | - Leif G. Hanitsch
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
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