Project description:BackgroundSARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination of healthy individuals is highly immunogenic and protective against severe COVID-19. However, there are limited data on how disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) alter SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine immunogenicity in patients with autoimmune diseases.MethodsAs part of a prospective cohort study, we investigated the induction, stability and boosting of vaccine-specific antibodies, B cells and T cells in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) on different DMTs after homologous primary, secondary and booster SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccinations. Of 126 patients with MS analysed, 105 received either anti-CD20-based B cell depletion (aCD20-BCD), fingolimod, interferon-β, dimethyl fumarate, glatiramer acetate, teriflunomide or natalizumab, and 21 were untreated MS patients for comparison.ResultsIn contrast to all other MS patients, and even after booster, most aCD20-BCD- and fingolimod-treated patients showed no to markedly reduced anti-S1 IgG, serum neutralising activity and a lack of receptor binding domain-specific and S2-specific B cells. Patients receiving fingolimod additionally lacked spike-reactive CD4+ T cell responses. The duration of fingolimod treatment, rather than peripheral blood B and T cell counts prior to vaccination, determined whether a humoral immune response was elicited.ConclusionsThe lack of immunogenicity under long-term fingolimod treatment demonstrates that functional immune responses require not only immune cells themselves, but also access of these cells to the site of inoculation and their unimpeded movement. The absence of humoral and T cell responses suggests that fingolimod-treated patients with MS are at risk for severe SARS-CoV-2 infections despite booster vaccinations, which is highly relevant for clinical decision-making and adapted protective measures, particularly considering additional recently approved sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor antagonists for MS treatment.
Project description:SARS-CoV-2 messenger RNA vaccination in healthy individuals generates immune protection against COVID-19. However, little is known about SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine-induced responses in immunosuppressed patients. We investigated induction of antigen-specific antibody, B cell and T cell responses longitudinally in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) on anti-CD20 antibody monotherapy (n = 20) compared with healthy controls (n = 10) after BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273 mRNA vaccination. Treatment with anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody (aCD20) significantly reduced spike-specific and receptor-binding domain (RBD)-specific antibody and memory B cell responses in most patients, an effect ameliorated with longer duration from last aCD20 treatment and extent of B cell reconstitution. By contrast, all patients with MS treated with aCD20 generated antigen-specific CD4 and CD8 T cell responses after vaccination. Treatment with aCD20 skewed responses, compromising circulating follicular helper T (TFH) cell responses and augmenting CD8 T cell induction, while preserving type 1 helper T (TH1) cell priming. Patients with MS treated with aCD20 lacking anti-RBD IgG had the most severe defect in circulating TFH responses and more robust CD8 T cell responses. These data define the nature of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine-induced immune landscape in aCD20-treated patients and provide insights into coordinated mRNA vaccine-induced immune responses in humans. Our findings have implications for clinical decision-making and public health policy for immunosuppressed patients including those treated with aCD20.
Project description:The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic underlines the urgent need for effective mRNA vaccines. However, current understanding of the immunological outcomes of mRNA vaccines formulated under different nanoplatforms is insufficient. Here, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 receptor binding domain mRNA delivered via lipid nanoparticle (LNP), cationic nanoemulsion (CNE), and cationic liposome (Lipo) was constructed. Results demonstrated that the structural and biochemical characteristics of nanoparticles shaped their tissue dissemination, cellular uptake, and intracellular trafficking, which eventually determined the activation of antiviral humoral and cellular immunity. Specifically, LNP was mainly internalized by myocyte and subsequently circumvented lysosome degradation, giving rise to humoral-biased immune responses. Meanwhile, CNE and Lipo induced cellular-preferred immunity, which was respectively attributed to the better lysosomal escape in dendritic cells and the superior biodistribution in secondary lymphoid organs. Overall, this study may guide the design and clinical use of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19.
Project description:ObjectiveTo evaluate the magnitude of humoral response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines in patients with cancer receiving active therapies.Patients and methodsPatients 18 years or older in whom SARS-CoV-2 spike antibody (anti-S Ab) levels were measured after 2 doses of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines were included. Patients with prior coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection or receiving other immunosuppressive therapy were excluded.ResultsAmong 201 patients who met the criteria, 61 were immunocompetent, 91 had a hematologic malignancy, and 49 had a solid malignancy while receiving treatments associated with cytopenia, including chemotherapy or cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 inhibitors. A significantly greater proportion of immunocompetent patients (96.7% [59 of 61]) had anti-S Ab titers of 500 U/mL or greater compared to patients with hematologic (7.7% [7 of 91) and solid (55.1% [27 of 49]) malignancy (P<.001). Despite 2 doses of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines, 52.7% of patients with hematologic malignancy (48 of 91) and 8.2% of those with solid malignancy (4 of 49) receiving cytopenic therapy had no seroconversion (spike antibody titers <0.8 U/mL). Two patients subsequently had development of breakthrough COVID-19 infection after full vaccination.ConclusionA substantial proportion of patients with hematologic and solid malignancies receiving chemotherapies and CDK4/6i had poor humoral responses after SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination. Our study adds to a growing body of literature suggesting that immunosuppressed patients have a suboptimal humoral response to COVID-19 vaccination. Our study also underscores the importance of assessing antibody response after COVID-19 vaccines in these vulnerable patients.
Project description:Our understanding of cellular immunity in response to COVID-19 infection or vaccination is limited because of less commonly used techniques. We investigated both the cellular and humoral immune responses before and after the administration of a third dose of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine among a group of healthcare workers. Cellular immunity was evaluated using the VIDAS interferon-gamma (IFNγ) RUO test, which enables automated measurement of IFNγ levels after stimulating peripheral blood lymphocytes. Booster doses significantly enhanced both cellular and humoral immunity. Concerning cellular response, the booster dose increased the percentage of positive IFNγ release assay (IGRA) results but no difference in IFNγ release was found. The cellular response was not associated with protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Interestingly, vaccinated and infected healthcare workers exhibited the highest levels of anti-spike and neutralizing antibodies. In conclusion, the IGRA is a simple method for measuring cellular immune responses after vaccination. However, its usefulness as a complement to the study of humoral responses is yet to be demonstrated in future research.
Project description:Patients on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD), which are at high risk of infection by SARS-CoV-2 virus and death due to COVID-19, have been prioritized for vaccination. However, because they were excluded from pivotal studies and have weakened immune responses, it is not known whether these patients are protected after the "standard" two doses of mRNA vaccines. To answer this, anti-spike receptor binding domain (RBD) IgG and interferon gamma-producing CD4+ and CD8+ specific-T cells were measured in the circulation 10-14 days after the second injection of BNT162b2 vaccine in 106 patients receiving MHD (14 with history of COVID-19) and compared to 30 healthy volunteers (four with history of COVID-19). After vaccination, most (72/80, 90%) patients receiving MHD naïve for the virus generated at least one type of immune effector, but their response was weaker and less complete than that of healthy volunteers. In multivariate analysis, hemodialysis and immunosuppressive therapy were significantly associated with absence of both anti-RBD IgGs and anti-spike CD8+ T cells. In contrast, previous history of COVID-19 in patients receiving MHD correlated with the generation of both types of immune effectors anti-RBD IgG and anti-spike CD8+ T cells at levels similar to healthy volunteers. Patients receiving MHD naïve for SARS-Cov-2 generate mitigated immune responses after two doses of mRNA vaccine. Thus, the good response to vaccine of patients receiving MHD with a history of COVID-19 suggest that these patients may benefit from a third vaccine injection.
Project description:IntroductionFibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is characterized by progressive heterotopic ossification triggered by various conditions, such as trauma, infection, including COVID-19 infection, and vaccination. Although SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations prevent poor outcomes in the general population, there is limited evidence on safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines for inpatients with FOP.MethodsA case series of two patients with FOP focused on humoral, cellular post-vaccination response, and the incidence of adverse events after administration of the BNT162b2 vaccine (Comirnaty).ResultsInjection site reactions, fever, myalgia, and fatigue were the most common adverse events (AE). Neither severe AE (SAE), nor disease flare-ups were observed. No differences between patients with FOP and healthy controls were observed in humoral and cellular responses.ConclusionsThe BNT162b2 vaccine induced high humoral and cellular response levels in patients with FOP. Vaccination was not associated with SAE or disease relapse. The AEs spectrum was comparable to that of the general population.
Project description:We investigated how differences in age, sex, or vaccine type can affect humoral and cellular immune responses after vaccination with vector (ChAdOx1 nCoV-19), mix-and-match (first, ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, and second, BNT162b2), or mRNA (BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273) vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Venous blood was collected from 573 subjects (vector, 396; mix-and-match, 96; and mRNA, 81) before the first vaccination (T0), 7 to 8 weeks (vector) or 3 to 4 weeks (mRNA) after the first vaccination (T1), and 3 to 4 weeks after the second vaccination (T2). The humoral and cellular immune responses were evaluated using Elecsys anti-SARS-CoV-2 (Roche), Alinity SARS-CoV-2 IgG II Quant (Abbott), cPass SARS-CoV-2 neutralization antibody detection (GenScript), and QuantiFERON SARS-CoV-2 (Qiagen) kits. At T1, the levels of the receptor-binding domain antibodies (RBD Ab) and neutralizing antibodies (NAb) decreased with aging, but interferon gamma release (IGR) levels increased. The RBD Ab, NAb, and IGR levels were higher in females than in males at T1 and T2. The NAb levels were higher in the mix-and-match and mRNA vaccine groups than in the vector vaccine group at T2. The RBD Ab and IGR levels were higher in the mRNA vaccine group than in the vector or mix-and-match vaccine groups at T2. The optimal cutoffs for RBD Ab and NAb, which were used to determine the presence of T cell responses, were 5.7 binding antibody units per milliliter (BAU mL-1) and 12.0 IU mL-1, respectively. Age, sex, and vaccine type affected the humoral and cellular immune responses, and T cell responses could be estimated from RBD Ab and NAb levels. IMPORTANCE There have been few studies that comprehensively evaluated factors affecting immune responses and the correlation between humoral and cellular immune responses after vector, mix-and-match, and mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, we analyzed the effects of age, sex, and the different vaccine regimens on the immune responses to vaccination against SARS-CoV-2. The correlation between humoral and cellular immune responses and the cutoffs were derived for RBD antibodies and neutralizing antibodies to predict the presence of the cellular immune responses. In this comprehensive study, we demonstrated that there were differences in the immune responses induced after vaccination depending on the age and sex of an individual. Among the three vaccine regimens, the mix-and-match and mRNA vaccines induced the most robust immune responses. Finally, the proposed optimal cutoffs for RBD and neutralizing antibodies may be useful for predicting cellular immune responses when assays for cellular immune responses are not available.
Project description:ObjectiveSARS-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.MethodsSerological, T-cell ELISpot, cytokines and immunophenotyping 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.ResultsNo significant different differences in T-cell responses were observed 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.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.
Project description:Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 has been successful in protecting patients with cancer from severe infections, but how immune responses against COVID-19 vaccination interact with those elicited during cancer immunotherapy has not been fully described. Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) disrupts inhibitory pathways in immune cells to improve function and induce tumor immunity but can often cause serious immune related adverse events (IRAEs). Because COVID-19 vaccination and ICB both boost immune responses, it is imperative to understand if combining these regimens causes synergistic enhancement of the immune system. Specifically, whether ICB impacts anti-vaccine immunity in previously vaccinated patients is important since a large percentage of newly diagnosed cancer patients eligible for immunotherapy will have already been vaccinated against COVID-19. To address this, we investigated the influence of ICB on SARS-CoV-2-spike protein (SP) antibody titers and T cell responses in cancer patients previously vaccinated against COVID-19. Human blood samples were collected from 29 vaccinated patients and 12 unvaccinated control patients at baseline (prior to ICB) and following two rounds of ICB infusion. Anti-SARS-CoV-2-SP IgG titers and T cell responses were quantified. Compared to responses at baseline, there was no significant difference in these immune responses after immunotherapy in vaccinated individuals (P=0.4583, P=0.4571, respectively). We interpret these results as evidence that ICB immunotherapy does not significantly enhance SARS-CoV-2-specific antibody titers or T cell responses. Although our study lacks corresponding IRAE rates, the results provide humoral and cellular immunological data that support recent reports documenting the clinical safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccination in patients receiving ICB. Additional longitudinal prospective studies, such as the VOICE study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT04715438) and CAPTURE study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT03226886), are warranted and will provide broader safety and immunological data defining the effect of systemic cancer therapies on COVID-19 immunity.