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Sampson OL, Jay C, Adland E, Csala A, Lim N, Ebbrecht SM, Gilligan LC, Taylor AE, George SS, Longet S, Jones LC, Barnes E, Frater J, Klenerman P, Dunachie S, Carrol M, Hawley J, Arlt W, Groll A, Goulder P. Gonadal androgens are associated with decreased type I interferon production by plasmacytoid dendritic cells and increased IgG titres to BNT162b2 following co-vaccination with live attenuated influenza vaccine in adolescents. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1329805. [PMID: 38481993 PMCID: PMC10933029 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1329805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
mRNA vaccine technologies introduced following the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic have highlighted the need to better understand the interaction of adjuvants and the early innate immune response. Type I interferon (IFN-I) is an integral part of this early innate response that primes several components of the adaptive immune response. Women are widely reported to respond better than men to tri- and quadrivalent influenza vaccines. Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are the primary cell type responsible for IFN-I production, and female pDCs produce more IFN-I than male pDCs since the upstream pattern recognition receptor Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) is encoded by X chromosome and is biallelically expressed by up to 30% of female immune cells. Additionally, the TLR7 promoter contains several putative androgen response elements, and androgens have been reported to suppress pDC IFN-I in vitro. Unexpectedly, therefore, we recently observed that male adolescents mount stronger antibody responses to the Pfizer BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine than female adolescents after controlling for natural SARS-CoV-2 infection. We here examined pDC behaviour in this same cohort to determine the impact of IFN-I on anti-spike and anti-receptor-binding domain IgG titres to BNT162b2. Through flow cytometry and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) modelling, we determined that serum-free testosterone was associated with reduced pDC IFN-I, but contrary to the well-described immunosuppressive role for androgens, the most bioactive androgen dihydrotestosterone was associated with increased IgG titres to BNT162b2. Also unexpectedly, we observed that co-vaccination with live attenuated influenza vaccine boosted the magnitude of IgG responses to BNT162b2. Together, these data support a model where systemic IFN-I increases vaccine-mediated immune responses, yet for vaccines with intracellular stages, modulation of the local IFN-I response may alter antigen longevity and consequently improve vaccine-driven immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver L. Sampson
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Cecilia Jay
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Emily Adland
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Csala
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas Lim
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Stella M. Ebbrecht
- Department of Statistics, Technical University of Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Lorna C. Gilligan
- Steroid Metabolome Analysis Core, Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Angela E. Taylor
- Steroid Metabolome Analysis Core, Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Sherley Sherafin George
- Biochemistry Department, Clinical Science Building, Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Stephanie Longet
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Lucy C. Jones
- Department of Microbiology, Division of Infection and Immunity, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Ellie Barnes
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - John Frater
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Klenerman
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Susie Dunachie
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Miles Carrol
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - James Hawley
- Biochemistry Department, Clinical Science Building, Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Wiebke Arlt
- Steroid Metabolome Analysis Core, Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Medical Research Council London Institute of Medical Sciences (MRC LMS), Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Andreas Groll
- Department of Statistics, Technical University of Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Philip Goulder
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Covill LE, Sendel A, Campbell TM, Piiroinen I, Enoksson SL, Borgström EW, Hansen S, Ma K, Marits P, Norlin AC, Smith CIE, Kåhlin J, Eriksson LI, Bergman P, Bryceson YT. Evaluation of Genetic or Cellular Impairments in Type I IFN Immunity in a Cohort of Young Adults with Critical COVID-19. J Clin Immunol 2024; 44:50. [PMID: 38231281 PMCID: PMC10794435 DOI: 10.1007/s10875-023-01641-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Several genetic and immunological risk factors for severe COVID-19 have been identified, with monogenic conditions relating to 13 genes of type I interferon (IFN) immunity proposed to explain 4.8% of critical cases. However, previous cohorts have been clinically heterogeneous and were not subjected to thorough genetic and immunological analyses. We therefore aimed to systematically investigate the prevalence of rare genetic variants causing inborn errors of immunity (IEI) and functionally interrogate the type I IFN pathway in young adults that suffered from critical COVID-19 yet lacked comorbidities. We selected and clinically characterized a cohort of 38 previously healthy individuals under 50 years of age who were treated in intensive care units due to critical COVID-19. Blood samples were collected after convalescence. Two patients had IFN-α autoantibodies. Genome sequencing revealed very rare variants in the type I IFN pathway in 31.6% of the patients, which was similar to controls. Analyses of cryopreserved leukocytes did not indicate any defect in plasmacytoid dendritic cell sensing of TLR7 and TLR9 agonists in patients carrying variants in these pathways. However, lymphocyte STAT phosphorylation and protein upregulation upon IFN-α stimulation revealed three possible cases of impaired type I IFN signaling in carriers of rare variants. Together, our results suggest a strategy of functional screening followed by genome analyses and biochemical validation to uncover undiagnosed causes of critical COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- L E Covill
- Center for Hematology and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - A Sendel
- Division of Clinical Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - T M Campbell
- Center for Hematology and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - I Piiroinen
- Center for Hematology and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - S Lind Enoksson
- Division of Clinical Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - E Wahren Borgström
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - S Hansen
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - K Ma
- Center for Hematology and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - P Marits
- Division of Clinical Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - A C Norlin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - C I E Smith
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - J Kåhlin
- Division of Perioperative Medicine and Intensive Care, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - L I Eriksson
- Division of Perioperative Medicine and Intensive Care, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - P Bergman
- Division of Clinical Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Y T Bryceson
- Center for Hematology and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Division of Clinical Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Broegelmann Laboratory, Department of Clinical Sciences, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
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Herbert NG, Goulder PJR. Impact of early antiretroviral therapy, early life immunity and immune sex differences on HIV disease and posttreatment control in children. Curr Opin HIV AIDS 2023; 18:229-236. [PMID: 37421384 PMCID: PMC10399946 DOI: 10.1097/coh.0000000000000807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW To review recent insights into the factors affecting HIV disease progression in children living with HIV, contrasting outcomes: following early ART initiation with those in natural, antiretroviral therapy (ART)-naive infection; in children versus adults; and in female individuals versus male individuals. RECENT FINDINGS Early life immune polarization and several factors associated with mother-to-child transmission of HIV result in an ineffective HIV-specific CD8+ T-cell response and rapid disease progression in most children living with HIV. However, the same factors result in low immune activation and antiviral efficacy mediated mainly through natural killer cell responses in children and are central features of posttreatment control. By contrast, rapid activation of the immune system and generation of a broad HIV-specific CD8+ T-cell response in adults, especially in the context of 'protective' HLA class I molecules, are associated with superior disease outcomes in ART-naive infection but not with posttreatment control. The higher levels of immune activation in female individuals versus male individuals from intrauterine life onwards increase HIV infection susceptibility in females in utero and may favour ART-naive disease outcomes rather than posttreatment control. SUMMARY Early-life immunity and factors associated with mother-to-child transmission typically result in rapid HIV disease progression in ART-naive infection but favour posttreatment control in children following early ART initiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas G Herbert
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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