scholarly journals Cellular and Humoral Responses to SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination in Immunosuppressed Patients

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dinesh Mohanraj ◽  
Samuel Baldwin ◽  
Satbeer Singh ◽  
Alun Gordon ◽  
Alison Whitelegg
Keyword(s):  
T Cell ◽  
T Cell Responses ◽  
Effector Memory ◽  
Immunological Responses ◽  
Vaccine Responses ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
Immunosuppressed Patients ◽  
Vaccine Immunogenicity ◽  
Humoral Responses ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Objective: SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations have demonstrated vaccine-immunogenicity in healthy volunteers, however, efficacy in immunosuppressed patients is less well characterised. There is an urgent need to address the impact of immunosuppression on vaccine immunogenicity. Methods: Serological, T-cell ELISpot, cytokines and immunophenotyping assays were used to assess vaccine responses (either BNT162b2 mRNA or ChAdOx1 nCoV-19) in double-vaccinated patients receiving immunosuppression for renal transplants or haematological malignancies (n=13). Immunological responses in immunosuppressed patients (VACC-IS) were compared to immunocompetent vaccinated (VACC-IC, n=12), unvaccinated (UNVACC, n=11) and infection-naïve unvaccinated (HC, n=3) cohorts. All participants, except HC, had prior COVID-19 infection. Results: T-cell responses were identical between VACC-IS and VACC-IC (92%) to spike-peptide (S) stimulation. UNVACC had the highest T-cell non-responders (n=3), whereas VACC-IC and VACC-IS both had one T-cell non-responder. No significant differences in humoral responses were observed between VACC-IC and VACC-IS, with 92% (12/13) of VACC-IS patients demonstrating seropositivity. One VACC-IS failed to seroconvert, however had detectable T-cell responses. All VACC-IC participants were seropositive for anti-spike antibodies. VACC-IS and VACC-IC participants elicited strong Th1 cytokine response with immunodominance towards S-peptide. Differences in T-cell immunophenotyping were seen between VACC-IS and VACC-IC, with lower CD8+ activation and T-effector memory phenotype observed in VACC-IS. Conclusion: SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are immunogenic in patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy, with responses comparable to vaccinated immunocompetent participants. Lower humoral responses were seen in patients treated with B-cell depleting therapeutics, but with preserved T-cell responses. We suggest further work to correlate both protective immunity and longevity of these responses in both healthy and immunosuppressed patients.

scholarly journals Cellular and humoral responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in immunosuppressed patients

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dinesh Mohanraj ◽  
Samuel Baldwin ◽  
Satbeer Singh ◽  
Alun Gordon ◽  
Alison Whitelegg
Keyword(s):  
T Cell ◽  
T Cell Responses ◽  
Effector Memory ◽  
Immunological Responses ◽  
Vaccine Responses ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
Immunosuppressed Patients ◽  
Vaccine Immunogenicity ◽  
Humoral Responses ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTObjectiveSARS-CoV-2 vaccinations have demonstrated vaccine immunogenicity in healthy volunteers, however, efficacy in immunosuppressed patients is less well characterised. Subsequently, there is an urgent need to address the impact of immunosuppression on vaccine immunogenicity.MethodsSerological, T-cell ELISpot, cytokines and immunophenotyping investigations were used to assess vaccine responses (either BNT162b2 mRNA or ChAdOx1 nCoV-19) in double-vaccinated patients receiving immunosuppression for renal transplants or haematological malignancies (n=13). Immunological responses in immunosuppressed patients (VACC-IS) were compared to immunocompetent vaccinated (VACC-IC, n=12), unvaccinated (UNVACC, n=11) and infection-naïve unvaccinated (HC, n=3) cohorts. All participants, except HC, had prior COVID-19 infection.ResultsT-cell responses were identical between VACC-IS and VACC-IC (92%) to spike-peptide (S) stimulation. UNVACC had the highest T-cell non-responders (n=3), whereas VACC-IC and VACC-IS both had one T-cell non-responder. No significant differences in humoral responses were observed between VACC-IC and VACC-IS, with 92% (12/13) of VACC-IS patients demonstrating seropositivity. One VACC-IS failed to seroconvert, however had detectable T-cell responses. All VACC-IC participants were seropositive for anti-spike antibodies. Furthermore, both VACC-IS and VACC-IC participants elicited strong Th1 cytokine response with immunodominance towards S-peptide. Differences in T-cell immunophenotyping were seen between VACC-IS and VACC-IC, with lower CD8+ activation and T-effector memory phenotype observed in VACC-IS.ConclusionSARS-CoV-2 vaccines are immunogenic in patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy, with responses comparable to vaccinated immunocompetent participants. Lower humoral responses were seen in patients treated with B-cell depleting therapeutics, but with preserved T-cell responses. We suggest further work to correlate both protective immunity and longevity of these responses in both healthy and immunosuppressed patients.

scholarly journals Covid-19 vaccine-induced antibodies are attenuated and decay rapidly in infliximab treated patients

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simeng Lin ◽  
Nicholas Kennedy ◽  
Aamir Saifuddin ◽  
Diana Muñoz Sandoval ◽  
Catherine Reynolds ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cell ◽  
Tumour Necrosis Factor ◽  
Specific Antibody ◽  
Tumour Necrosis ◽  
Inflammatory Diseases ◽  
T Cell Responses ◽  
Vaccine Responses ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
Immunosuppressed Patients ◽  
Necrosis Factor

Abstract To inform healthcare policy for immunosuppressed patients there is a need to define SARS-CoV-2 vaccine responses. Here we report SARS-CoV-2 vaccine-induced antibody and T cell responses in patients treated with anti-tumour necrosis factor (anti-TNF), a commonly used biologic in inflammatory diseases, compared to patients treated with vedolizumab, a gut-specific antibody targeting integrin a4b7 that does not impair systemic immunity. In anti-TNF recipients, the magnitude of anti-SARS-CoV2 antibodies was reduced five-fold, and rapidly decayed towards the seroconversion threshold by 14 weeks after second dose of vaccine. In contrast, anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were sustained up to 16 weeks in vedolizumab-treated patients. Anti-SARS-CoV2 antibody decay was not observed in vaccinated patients previously infected with SARS-CoV-2. T cell responses were absent in one-fifth of anti-TNF and vedolizumab-treated patients after a second dose of either vaccine. Our data have important implications for anti-TNF recipients, including the need for vaccine prioritization, booster doses, and social distancing strategies.

scholarly journals Immune responses following third COVID-19 vaccination are reduced in patients with hematologic malignancies compared to patients with solid cancer

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annika Fendler ◽  
Scott T.C. Shepherd ◽  
Lewis Au ◽  
Katalin A. Wilkinson ◽  
Mary Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cell ◽  
Vaccine Dose ◽  
T Cell Responses ◽  
Hematologic Malignancies ◽  
Solid Cancer ◽  
Vaccine Responses ◽  
Patients With Cancer ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
The Third ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Not all patients with cancer, in particular those with hematogic malignancies, develop functional immunity against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC) following COVID-19 vaccines. Durability of vaccine-induced immunity after two doses and the impact of a third dose were evaluated in CAPTURE (NCT03226886), a longitudinal prospective cohort study of vaccine responses in patients with cancer. In evaluating 316 patients, at a median of 111 days following two doses of either BNT16b2 or ChadOX, we observed a time-dependant decline in neutralising antibody titres (NAbT) in a proportion of patients, where NAbTs became undetectable against Delta and Beta in 17% and 15% of patients, respectively. Vaccine-induced T cell responses declined in 44% of patients. Patients with breakthrough infections following two vaccines doses were characterised by absent/low NAbT to Delta prior to infection. Administration of the third vaccine dose boosted NAb responses against VOC in the majority of patients with cancer, especially those with solid cancer. In patients with hematologic malignancies who had undetectable NAbT against Delta after two vaccine doses, 54% did not develop NAb against both Beta and Delta following the third dose. Third vaccine dose boosted T cell responses were boosted in patients with both solid and hematologic malignancies. These results provide critical information on vaccine responses in patients with cancer, especially against VOCs and support widespread access to a third COVID-19 vaccination in this patient group.

scholarly journals Augmentation of HIV-specific T cell function by immediate treatment of hyperacute HIV-1 infection

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (493) ◽  
pp. eaau0528 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zaza M. Ndhlovu ◽  
Samuel W. Kazer ◽  
Thandeka Nkosi ◽  
Funsho Ogunshola ◽  
Daniel M. Muema ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Immune Responses ◽  
T Cell Responses ◽  
Transcriptional Analysis ◽  
Effector Memory ◽  
Strong Positive Correlation ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
Ifn Γ ◽  
The Impact

Sustained viremia after acute HIV infection is associated with profound CD4+T cell loss and exhaustion of HIV-specific CD8+T cell responses. To determine the impact of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) on these processes, we examined the evolution of immune responses in acutely infected individuals initiating treatment before peak viremia. Immediate treatment of Fiebig stages I and II infection led to a rapid decline in viral load and diminished magnitude of HIV-specific (tetramer+) CD8+T cell responses compared to untreated donors. There was a strong positive correlation between cumulative viral antigen exposure before full cART-induced suppression and immune responses measured by MHC class I tetramers, IFN-γ ELISPOT, and CD8+T cell activation. HIV-specific CD8+T responses of early treated individuals were characterized by increased CD127 and BCL-2 expression, greater in vitro IFN-γ secretion, and enhanced differentiation into effector memory (Tem) cells. Transcriptional analysis of tetramer+CD8+T cells from treated persons revealed reduced expression of genes associated with activation and apoptosis, with concurrent up-regulation of prosurvival genes includingBCL-2,AXL, andSRC. Early treatment also resulted in robust HIV-specific CD4+T cell responses compared to untreated HIV-infected individuals. Our data show that limiting acute viremia results in enhanced functionality of HIV-specific CD4+and CD8+T cells, preserving key antiviral properties of these cells.

scholarly journals Detection of IFNγ-Secreting CD4+ and CD8+ Memory T Cells in COVID-19 Convalescents after Stimulation of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells with Live SARS-CoV-2

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1490
Author(s):  
Victoria Matyushenko ◽  
Irina Isakova-Sivak ◽  
Igor Kudryavtsev ◽  
Arina Goshina ◽  
Anna Chistyakova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Memory T Cells ◽  
Natural Infection ◽  
Intracellular Cytokine Staining ◽  
T Cell Responses ◽  
Effector Memory ◽  
Memory T Cell ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
Stimulation Of

Background: New coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, a causative agent of the COVID-19 pandemic, has been circulating among humans since November 2019. Multiple studies have assessed the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of virus-specific immunity in COVID-19 convalescents, however, some aspects of the development of memory T-cell responses after natural SARS-CoV-2 infection remain uncovered. Methods: In most of published studies T-cell immunity to the new coronavirus is assessed using peptides corresponding to SARS-CoV-1 or SARS-CoV-2 T-cell epitopes, or with peptide pools covering various parts of the viral proteins. Here, we determined the level of CD4+ and CD8+ memory T-cell responses in COVID-19 convalescents by stimulating PBMCs collected 1 to 6 months after recovery with sucrose gradient-purified live SARS-CoV-2. IFNγ production by the central and effector memory helper and cytotoxic T cells was assessed by intracellular cytokine staining assay and flow cytometry. Results: Stimulation of PBMCs with live SARS-CoV-2 revealed IFNγ-producing T-helper effector memory cells with CD4+CD45RA−CCR7− phenotype, which persisted in circulation for up to 6 month after COVID-19. In contrast, SARS-CoV-2-specific IFNγ-secreting cytotoxic effector memory T cells were found at significant levels only shortly after the disease, but rapidly decreased over time. Conclusion: The stimulation of immune cells with live SARS-CoV-2 revealed a rapid decline in the pool of effector memory CD8+, but not CD4+, T cells after recovery from COVID-19. These data provide additional information on the development and persistence of cellular immune responses after natural infection, and can inform further development of T cell-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.

scholarly journals Batf3-Dependent Dendritic Cells Promote Optimal CD8 T Cell Responses against Respiratory Poxvirus Infection

2018 ◽  
Vol 92 (16) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pritesh Desai ◽  
Vikas Tahiliani ◽  
Georges Abboud ◽  
Jessica Stanfield ◽  
Shahram Salek-Ardakani
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Dendritic Cells ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Vaccinia Virus ◽  
Respiratory Infection ◽  
Host Resistance ◽  
T Cell Responses ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
Ifn Γ ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTRespiratory infection with vaccinia virus (VacV) elicits robust CD8+T cell responses that play an important role in host resistance. In the lung, VacV encounters multiple tissue-resident antigen-presenting cell (APC) populations, but which cell plays a dominant role in priming of virus-specific CD8+effector T cell responses remains poorly defined. We used Batf3−/−mice to investigate the impact of CD103+and CD8α+dendritic cell (DC) deficiency on anti-VacV CD8+T cell responses. We found that Batf3−/−mice were more susceptible to VacV infection, exhibiting profound weight loss, which correlated with impaired accumulation of gamma interferon (IFN-γ)-producing CD8+T cells in the lungs. This was largely due to defective priming since early in the response, antigen-specific CD8+T cells in the draining lymph nodes of Batf3−/−mice expressed significantly reduced levels of Ki67, CD25, and T-bet. These results underscore a specific role for Batf3-dependent DCs in regulating priming and expansion of effector CD8+T cells necessary for host resistance against acute respiratory VacV infection.IMPORTANCEDuring respiratory infection with vaccinia virus (VacV), a member ofPoxviridaefamily, CD8+T cells play important role in resolving the primary infection. Effector CD8+T cells clear the virus by accumulating in the infected lungs in large numbers and secreting molecules such as IFN-γ that kill virally infected cells. However, precise cell types that regulate the generation of effector CD8+T cells in the lungs are not well defined. Dendritic cells (DCs) are a heterogeneous population of immune cells that are recognized as key initiators and regulators of T-cell-mediated immunity. In this study, we reveal that a specific subset of DCs that are dependent on the transcription factor Batf3 for their development regulate the magnitude of CD8+T cell effector responses in the lungs, thereby providing protection during pulmonary VacV infection.

scholarly journals Fitness-Balanced Escape Determines Resolution of Dynamic Founder Virus Escape Processes in HIV-1 Infection

2015 ◽  
Vol 89 (20) ◽  
pp. 10303-10318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justine E. Sunshine ◽  
Brendan B. Larsen ◽  
Brandon Maust ◽  
Ellie Casey ◽  
Wenje Deng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cell ◽  
Viral Evolution ◽  
T Cell Responses ◽  
Fitness Cost ◽  
Viral Population ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
Founder Virus ◽  
Ctl Escape ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Hiv 1

ABSTRACTTo understand the interplay between host cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) responses and the mechanisms by which HIV-1 evades them, we studied viral evolutionary patterns associated with host CTL responses in six linked transmission pairs. HIV-1 sequences corresponding to full-length p17 and p24gagwere generated by 454 pyrosequencing for all pairs near the time of transmission, and seroconverting partners were followed for a median of 847 days postinfection. T-cell responses were screened by gamma interferon/interleukin-2 (IFN-γ/IL-2) FluoroSpot using autologous peptide sets reflecting any Gag variant present in at least 5% of sequence reads in the individual's viral population. While we found little evidence for the occurrence of CTL reversions, CTL escape processes were found to be highly dynamic, with multiple epitope variants emerging simultaneously. We found a correlation between epitope entropy and the number of epitope variants per response (r= 0.43;P= 0.05). In cases in which multiple escape mutations developed within a targeted epitope, a variant with no fitness cost became fixed in the viral population. When multiple mutations within an epitope achieved fitness-balanced escape, these escape mutants were each maintained in the viral population. Additional mutations found to confer escape but undetected in viral populations incurred high fitness costs, suggesting that functional constraints limit the available sites tolerable to escape mutations. These results further our understanding of the impact of CTL escape and reversion from the founder virus in HIV infection and contribute to the identification of immunogenic Gag regions most vulnerable to a targeted T-cell attack.IMPORTANCERapid diversification of the viral population is a hallmark of HIV-1 infection, and understanding the selective forces driving the emergence of viral variants can provide critical insight into the interplay between host immune responses and viral evolution. We used deep sequencing to comprehensively follow viral evolution over time in six linked HIV transmission pairs. We then mapped T-cell responses to explore if mutations arose due to adaption to the host and found that escape processes were often highly dynamic, with multiple mutations arising within targeted epitopes. When we explored the impact of these mutations on replicative capacity, we found that dynamic escape processes only resolve with the selection of mutations that conferred escape with no fitness cost to the virus. These results provide further understanding of the complicated viral-host interactions that occur during early HIV-1 infection and may help inform the design of future vaccine immunogens.

scholarly journals Regulation of T Cell Responses by Ionic Salt Signals

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 2365
Author(s):  
Christina E. Zielinski
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Sodium Chloride ◽  
T Cell Responses ◽  
T Helper Cell ◽  
Helper Cell ◽  
T Helper ◽  
Tissue Microenvironment ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
The Impact

T helper cell responses are tailored to their respective antigens and adapted to their specific tissue microenvironment. While a great proportion of T cells acquire a resident identity, a significant proportion of T cells continue circulating, thus encountering changing microenvironmental signals during immune surveillance. One signal, which has previously been largely overlooked, is sodium chloride. It has been proposed to have potent effects on T cell responses in the context of autoimmune, allergic and infectious tissue inflammation in mouse models and humans. Sodium chloride is stringently regulated in the blood by the kidneys but displays differential deposition patterns in peripheral tissues. Sodium chloride accumulation might furthermore be regulated by dietary intake and thus by intentional behavior. Together, these results make sodium chloride an interesting but still controversial signal for immune modulation. Its downstream cellular activities represent a potential therapeutic target given its effects on T cell cytokine production. In this review article, we provide an overview and critical evaluation of the impact of this ionic signal on T helper cell polarization and T helper cell effector functions. In addition, the impact of sodium chloride from the tissue microenvironment is assessed for human health and disease and for its therapeutic potential.

scholarly journals The Dual-Antigen Ad5 COVID-19 Vaccine Delivered as an Intranasal Plus Subcutaneous Prime Elicits Th1 Dominant T-Cell and Humoral Responses in CD-1 Mice

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian Rice ◽  
Mohit Verma ◽  
Annie Shin ◽  
Lise Zakin ◽  
Peter Sieling ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cell ◽  
Oral Delivery ◽  
Surface Display ◽  
T Cell Responses ◽  
Human Adenovirus ◽  
Cell Surface Display ◽  
Mhc I ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
Serotype 5 ◽  
Humoral Responses

In response to the need for an efficacious, thermally-stable COVID-19 vaccine that can elicit both humoral and cell-mediated T-cell responses, we have developed a dual-antigen human adenovirus serotype 5 (hAd5) COVID-19 vaccine in formulations suitable for subcutaneous (SC), intranasal (IN), or oral delivery. The vaccine expresses both the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) and nucleocapsid (N) proteins using an hAd5 platform with E1, E2b, and E3 sequences deleted; hAd5(E1-, E2b-, E3-); that is effective even in the presence of hAd5 immunity. In the vaccine, S is modified (S-Fusion) for enhanced cell surface display to elicit humoral responses and N is modified with an Enhanced T-cell Stimulation Domain (N-ETSD) to direct N to the endosomal/lysosomal pathway to increase MHC I and II presentation. Initial studies using subcutaneous (SC) prime and SC boost vaccination of CD-1 mice demonstrated that the hAd5 S-Fusion + N-ETSD vaccine elicits T-helper cell 1 (Th1) dominant T-cell and humoral responses to both S and N. We then compared SC to IN prime vaccination with either an SC or IN boost post-SC prime and an IN boost after IN prime. These studies reveal that IN prime/IN boost is as effective at generating Th1 dominant humoral responses to both S and N as the other combinations, but that the SC prime with either an IN or SC boost elicits greater T cell responses. In a third study to assess the power of the two routes of delivery when used together, we used a combined SC plus IN prime with or without a boost and found the combined prime alone to be as effective as the combined prime with either an SC or IN boost in generating both humoral and T-cell responses. The findings here in CD-1 mice demonstrate that combined SC and IN prime-only delivery has the potential to provide broad immunity, including mucosal immunity, against SARS-CoV-2 and supports further testing of this delivery approach in additional animal models and clinical trials.

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