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Opsteen S, Fram T, Files JK, Levitan EB, Goepfert P, Erdmann N. Impact of Chronic HIV Infection on Acute Immune Responses to SARS-CoV-2. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2024; 96:92-100. [PMID: 38408318 PMCID: PMC11009054 DOI: 10.1097/qai.0000000000003399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
ABSTRACT There is mounting evidence that HIV infection is a risk factor for severe presentations of COVID-19. We hypothesized that the persistent immune activation associated with chronic HIV infection contributes to worsened outcomes during acute COVID-19. The goals of this study were to provide an in-depth analysis of immune response to acute COVID-19 and investigate relationships between immune responses and clinical outcomes in an unvaccinated, sex- and race-matched cohort of people with HIV (PWH, n = 20) and people without HIV (PWOH, n = 41). We performed flow cytometric analyses on peripheral blood mononuclear cells from PWH and PWOH experiencing acute COVID-19 (≤21-day postsymptom onset). PWH were younger (median 52 vs 65 years) and had milder COVID-19 (40% vs 88% hospitalized) compared with PWOH. Flow cytometry panels included surface markers for immune cell populations, activation and exhaustion surface markers (with and without SARS-CoV-2-specific antigen stimulation), and intracellular cytokine staining. We observed that PWH had increased expression of activation (eg, CD137 and OX40) and exhaustion (eg, PD1 and TIGIT) markers as compared to PWOH during acute COVID-19. When analyzing the impact of COVID-19 severity, we found that hospitalized PWH had lower nonclassical (CD16 + ) monocyte frequencies, decreased expression of TIM3 on CD4 + T cells, and increased expression of PDL1 and CD69 on CD8 + T cells. Our findings demonstrate that PWH have increased immune activation and exhaustion as compared to a cohort of predominately older, hospitalized PWOH and raises questions on how chronic immune activation affects acute disease and the development of postacute sequelae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Skye Opsteen
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL; and
| | - Tim Fram
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL; and
| | - Jacob K. Files
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL; and
| | - Emily B. Levitan
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Paul Goepfert
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL; and
| | - Nathaniel Erdmann
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL; and
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Trauet J, Bourgoin P, Schuldt J, Lefèvre G, Labalette M, Busnel JM, Demaret J. Studying antigen-specific T cells through a streamlined, whole blood-based extracellular approach. Cytometry A 2024; 105:288-296. [PMID: 38149360 DOI: 10.1002/cyto.a.24818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Techniques currently used for the study of antigen-specific T-cell responses are either poorly informative or require a heavy workload. Consequently, many perspectives associated with the broader study of such approaches remain mostly unexplored in translational research. However, these could benefit many fields including but not limited to infectious diseases, oncology, and vaccination. Herein, the main objective of this work was to develop a standardized flow cytometry-based approach that would combine ease of use together with a relevant study of antigen-specific T-cell responses so that they could be more often included in clinical research. To this extent, a streamlined approach relying on 1/ the use of whole blood instead of peripheral blood mononuclear cells and 2/ solely based on the expression of extracellular activation-induced markers (AIMs), called whole blood AIM (WAIM), was developed and further compared to more conventional techniques such as enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISpot) and flow cytometry-based intracellular cytokine staining (ICS). Based on a cohort of 20 individuals receiving the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine and focusing on SARS-CoV-2 and cytomegalovirus (CMV)-derived antigen T-cell-specific responses, a significant level of correlation between the three techniques was found. Based on the use of whole blood and on the expression of extracellular activation-induced markers (CD154, CD137, and CD107a), the WAIM technique appears to be very simple to implement and yet allows interesting patient stratification capabilities as the chosen combination of extracellular markers exhibited higher orthogonality than cytokines that are commonly considered in ICS (IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-2).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacques Trauet
- CHU Lille, Institut d'Immunologie, U1286 - INFINITE - Institute for Translational Research in Inflammation Inserm Univ. Lille, Lille, France
| | - Penelope Bourgoin
- Global Research Organization, Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, Marseille, France
| | - Jana Schuldt
- Global Research Organization, Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, Marseille, France
| | - Guillaume Lefèvre
- CHU Lille, Institut d'Immunologie, U1286 - INFINITE - Institute for Translational Research in Inflammation Inserm Univ. Lille, Lille, France
| | - Myriam Labalette
- CHU Lille, Institut d'Immunologie, U1286 - INFINITE - Institute for Translational Research in Inflammation Inserm Univ. Lille, Lille, France
| | - Jean-Marc Busnel
- Global Research Organization, Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, Marseille, France
| | - Julie Demaret
- CHU Lille, Institut d'Immunologie, U1286 - INFINITE - Institute for Translational Research in Inflammation Inserm Univ. Lille, Lille, France
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da Silva Antunes R, Weiskopf D, Sidney J, Rubiro P, Peters B, Arlehamn CSL, Grifoni A, Sette A. The MegaPool Approach to Characterize Adaptive CD4+ and CD8+ T Cell Responses. Curr Protoc 2023; 3:e934. [PMID: 37966108 PMCID: PMC10662678 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
Epitopes recognized by T cells are a collection of short peptide fragments derived from specific antigens or proteins. Immunological research to study T cell responses is hindered by the extreme degree of heterogeneity of epitope targets, which are usually derived from multiple antigens; within a given antigen, hundreds of different T cell epitopes can be recognized, differing from one individual to the next because T cell epitope recognition is restricted by the epitopes' ability to bind to MHC molecules, which are extremely polymorphic in different individuals. Testing large pools encompassing hundreds of peptides is technically challenging because of logistical considerations regarding solvent-induced toxicity. To address this issue, we developed the MegaPool (MP) approach based on sequential lyophilization of large numbers of peptides that can be used in a variety of assays to measure T cell responses, including ELISPOT, intracellular cytokine staining, and activation-induced marker assays, and that has been validated in the study of infectious diseases, allergies, and autoimmunity. Here, we describe the procedures for generating and testing MPs, starting with peptide synthesis and lyophilization, as well as a step-by-step guide and recommendations for their handling and experimental usage. Overall, the MP approach is a powerful strategy for studying T cell responses and understanding the immune system's role in health and disease. © 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Generation of peptide pools ("MegaPools") Basic Protocol 2: MegaPool testing and quantitation of antigen-specific T cell responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo da Silva Antunes
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI); La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Daniela Weiskopf
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI); La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - John Sidney
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI); La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Paul Rubiro
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI); La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Bjoern Peters
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI); La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | - Alba Grifoni
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI); La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Alessandro Sette
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI); La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA, USA
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Akhtar M, Basher SR, Nizam NN, Kamruzzaman M, Khaton F, Banna HA, Kaisar MH, Karmakar PC, Hakim A, Akter A, Ahmed T, Tauheed I, Islam S, Ahmmed F, Mahamud S, Hasnat MA, Sumon MA, Rashed A, Ghosh S, Calderwood SB, Harris JB, Charles RC, LaRocque RC, Ryan ET, Banu S, Shirin T, Chowdhury F, Bhuiyan TR, Qadri F. Longevity of memory B cells and antibodies, as well as the polarization of effector memory helper T cells, are associated with disease severity in patients with COVID-19 in Bangladesh. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1052374. [PMID: 36578502 PMCID: PMC9791541 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1052374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The longevity of immune responses induced by different degrees of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection provides information important to understanding protection against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Here, we report the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor-binding domain (RBD) specific antibodies and memory B cells recognizing this antigen in sequential samples from patients in Bangladesh with asymptomatic, mild, moderate and severe COVID-19 out to six months following infection. Since the development of long-lived memory B cells, as well as antibody production, is likely to be dependent on T helper (Th) cells, we also investigated the phenotypic changes of Th cells in COVID-19 patients over time following infection. Our results show that patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 mounted significant levels of IgG antibodies out to six months following infection, while patients with asymptomatic or mild disease had significant levels of IgG antibodies out to 3 months following infection, but these then fell more rapidly at 6 months than in patients with higher disease severity. Patients from all severity groups developed circulating memory B cells (MBCs) specific to SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD by 3 months following infection, and these persisted until the last timepoint measured at 6 months. A T helper cell response with an effector memory phenotype was observed following infection in all symptomatic patients, while patients with asymptomatic infection had no significant increases in effector Th1, Th2 and Th17 effector memory cell responses. Our results suggest that the strength and magnitude of antibody and memory B cells induced following SARS-CoV-2 infection depend on the severity of the disease. Polarization of the Th cell response, with an increase in Th effector memory cells, occurs in symptomatic patients by day 7 following infection, with increases seen in Th1, Th2, Th17 and follicular helper T cell subsets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjahan Akhtar
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh (ICDDRB), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Salima Raiyan Basher
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh (ICDDRB), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Nuder Nower Nizam
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh (ICDDRB), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Mohammad Kamruzzaman
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh (ICDDRB), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Fatema Khaton
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh (ICDDRB), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Hasan Al Banna
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh (ICDDRB), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - M Hasanul Kaisar
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh (ICDDRB), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Polash Chandra Karmakar
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh (ICDDRB), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Al Hakim
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh (ICDDRB), Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Jagannath University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Afroza Akter
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh (ICDDRB), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Tasnuva Ahmed
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh (ICDDRB), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Imam Tauheed
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh (ICDDRB), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Shaumik Islam
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh (ICDDRB), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Faisal Ahmmed
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh (ICDDRB), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Shakil Mahamud
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh (ICDDRB), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Mohammad Abul Hasnat
- Department of Cardiology, Department of Oncology, Kurmitola General Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Mostafa Aziz Sumon
- Department of Cardiology, Department of Oncology, Kurmitola General Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Asif Rashed
- Department of Microbiology, Department of Medicine, Mugda Medical College and Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Shuvro Ghosh
- Department of Microbiology, Department of Medicine, Mugda Medical College and Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Stephen B. Calderwood
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jason B. Harris
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Richelle C. Charles
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Regina C. LaRocque
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Edward T. Ryan
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Sayera Banu
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh (ICDDRB), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Tahmina Shirin
- Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Fahima Chowdhury
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh (ICDDRB), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Taufiqur Rahman Bhuiyan
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh (ICDDRB), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Firdausi Qadri
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh (ICDDRB), Dhaka, Bangladesh
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