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Konrad CV, Iversen EF, Gunst JD, Monrad I, Holleufer A, Hartmann R, Østergaard LJ, Søgaard OS, Schleimann MH, Tolstrup M. Redirector of Vaccine-induced Effector Responses (RoVER) for specific killing of cellular targets. EBioMedicine 2023; 96:104785. [PMID: 37672868 PMCID: PMC10485592 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In individuals with malignancy or HIV-1 infection, antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) often display an exhausted phenotype with impaired capacity to eliminate the disease. Existing cell-based immunotherapy strategies are often limited by the requirement for adoptive transfer of CTLs. We have developed an immunotherapy technology in which potent CTL responses are generated in vivo by vaccination and redirected to eliminate target cells using a bispecific Redirector of Vaccine-induced Effector Responses (RoVER). METHODS Following Yellow fever (YF) 17D vaccination of 51 healthy volunteers (NCT04083430), single-epitope YF-specific CTL responses were quantified by tetramer staining and multi-parameter flow cytometry. RoVER-mediated redirection of YF-specific CTLs to kill antigen-expressing Raji-Env cells, autologous CD19+ B cells or CD4+ T cells infected in vitro with a full-length HIV-1-eGFP was assessed in cell killing assays. Moreover, secreted IFN-γ, granzyme B, and TNF-α were analyzed by mesoscale multiplex assays. FINDINGS YF-17D vaccination induced strong epitope-specific CTL responses in the study participants. In cell killing assays, RoVER-mediated redirection of YF-specific CTLs to autologous CD19+ B cells or HIV-1-infected CD4+ cells resulted in 58% and 53% killing at effector to target ratio 1:1, respectively. INTERPRETATION We have developed an immunotherapy technology in which epitope-specific CTLs induced by vaccination can be redirected to kill antigen-expressing target cells by RoVER linking. The RoVER technology is highly specific and can be adapted to recognize various cell surface antigens. Importantly, this technology obviates the need for adoptive transfer of CTLs. FUNDING This work was funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation (Hallas Møller NNF10OC0054577).
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina V Konrad
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, 8000, Denmark; Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus N, 8200, Denmark
| | - Emma F Iversen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, 8000, Denmark
| | - Jesper D Gunst
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, 8000, Denmark; Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus N, 8200, Denmark
| | - Ida Monrad
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus N, 8200, Denmark
| | - Andreas Holleufer
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, 8000, Denmark
| | - Rune Hartmann
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, 8000, Denmark
| | - Lars J Østergaard
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, 8000, Denmark; Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus N, 8200, Denmark
| | - Ole S Søgaard
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, 8000, Denmark; Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus N, 8200, Denmark
| | - Mariane H Schleimann
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus N, 8200, Denmark
| | - Martin Tolstrup
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, 8000, Denmark; Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus N, 8200, Denmark.
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2
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Lende SSF, Pahus MH, Monrad I, Olesen R, Mahr AR, Vibholm LK, Østergaard L, Søgaard OS, Andersen AHF, Denton PW, Tolstrup M. CD169 (Siglec-1) as a Robust Human Cell Biomarker of Toll-Like Receptor 9 Agonist Immunotherapy. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:919097. [PMID: 35865810 PMCID: PMC9294151 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.919097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy is a promising therapeutic area in cancer and chronic viral infections. An important component of immunotherapy in these contexts is the activation of innate immunity. Here we investigate the potential for CD169 (Siglec 1) expression on monocytes to serve as a robust biomarker for activation of innate immunity and, particular, as a proxy for IFN-α production. Specifically, we investigated the effects of Toll-like receptor 9 agonism with MGN1703 (lefitolimod) across experimental conditions ex vivo, in humanized mice, and in clinical trial participants. Ex vivo we observed that the percentage of classical monocytes expressing CD169 increased dramatically from 10% pre-stimulation to 97% 24 hrs after MGN1703 stimulation (p<0.0001). In humanized NOG mice, we observed prominent upregulation of the proportions of monocytes expressing CD169 after two doses of MGN1703 where 73% of classical monocytes were CD169 positive in bone marrow following MGN1703 treatment vs 19% in vehicle treated mice (p=0.0159). Finally, in a clinical trial in HIV-infected individuals receiving immunotherapy treatment with MGN1703, we observed a uniform upregulation of CD169 on monocytes after dosing with 97% of classical monocytes positive for CD169 (p=0.002). Hence, in this comprehensive evaluation ex vivo, in an animal model, and in a clinical trial, we find increases in the percentage of CD169 positive monocytes to be a reliable and robust biomarker of immune activation following TLR9 agonist treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marie Høst Pahus
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Ida Monrad
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Rikke Olesen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Anna R. Mahr
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Line K. Vibholm
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Lars Østergaard
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Ole Schmeltz Søgaard
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Paul W. Denton
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Martin Tolstrup
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- *Correspondence: Martin Tolstrup,
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Møhlenberg M, Monrad I, Vibholm LK, Nielsen SSF, Frattari GS, Schleimann MH, Olesen R, Kjolby M, Gunst JD, Søgaard OS, O'Brien TR, Tolstrup M, Hartmann R. The Impact of IFNλ4 on the Adaptive Immune Response to SARS-CoV-2 Infection. J Interferon Cytokine Res 2021; 41:407-414. [PMID: 34788130 DOI: 10.1089/jir.2021.0106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic polymorphisms at the IFNL4 loci are known to influence the clinical outcome of several different infectious diseases. Best described is the association between the IFNL4 genotype and hepatitis C virus clearance. However, an influence of the IFNL4 genotype on the adaptive immune system was suggested by several studies but never investigated in humans. In this cross-sectional study, we have genotyped 201 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-positive participants for 3 IFNL4 polymorphisms (rs368234815, rs12979860, and rs117648444) and stratified them according to the IFNλ4 activity. Based on this stratification, we investigated the association between the IFNL4 genotype and the antibody as well as the CD8+ T cell response in the acute phase of the SARS-CoV-2 infection. We observed no differences in the genotype distribution compared with a Danish reference cohort or the 1,000 Genome Project, and we were not able to link the IFNL4 genotype to changes in either the antibody or CD8+ T cell responses of these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Møhlenberg
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Ida Monrad
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Line K Vibholm
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Stine S F Nielsen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus N, Denmark
| | | | | | - Rikke Olesen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Mads Kjolby
- Steno Diabetes Center North Denmark, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.,DANDRITE, Deptarment of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Steno Diabetes Center Aarhus, Aarhus University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.,University of Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | | | - Ole Schmeltz Søgaard
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus N, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Thomas R O'Brien
- Infections and Immunoepidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Martin Tolstrup
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus N, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Rune Hartmann
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
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4
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Nielsen SS, Vibholm LK, Monrad I, Olesen R, Frattari GS, Pahus MH, Højen JF, Gunst JD, Erikstrup C, Holleufer A, Hartmann R, Østergaard L, Søgaard OS, Schleimann MH, Tolstrup M. SARS-CoV-2 elicits robust adaptive immune responses regardless of disease severity. EBioMedicine 2021; 68:103410. [PMID: 34098342 PMCID: PMC8176920 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2021.103410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [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: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic currently prevails worldwide. To understand the immunological signature of SARS-CoV-2 infections and aid the search and evaluation of new treatment modalities and vaccines, comprehensive characterization of adaptive immune responses towards SARS-CoV-2 is needed. METHODS We included 203 recovered SARS-CoV-2 infected patients in Denmark between April 3rd and July 9th 2020, at least 14 days after COVID-19 symptom recovery. The participants had experienced a range of disease severities from asymptomatic to severe. We collected plasma, serum and PBMC's for analysis of SARS-CoV-2 specific antibody response by Meso Scale analysis including other coronavirus strains, ACE2 competition, IgA ELISA, pseudovirus neutralization capacity, and dextramer flow cytometry analysis of CD8+ T cells. The immunological outcomes were compared amongst severity groups within the cohort, and 10 pre-pandemic SARS-CoV-2 negative controls. FINDINGS We report broad serological profiles within the cohort, detecting antibody binding to other human coronaviruses. 202(>99%) participants had SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies, with SARS-CoV-2 neutralization and spike-ACE2 receptor interaction blocking observed in 193(95%) individuals. A significant positive correlation (r=0.7804) between spike-ACE2 blocking antibody titers and neutralization potency was observed. Further, SARS-CoV-2 specific CD8+ T-cell responses were clear and quantifiable in 95 of 106(90%) HLA-A2+ individuals. INTERPRETATION The viral surface spike protein was identified as the dominant target for both neutralizing antibodies and CD8+ T-cell responses. Overall, the majority of patients had robust adaptive immune responses, regardless of their disease severity. FUNDING This study was supported by the Danish Ministry for Research and Education (grant# 0238-00001B) and The Danish Innovation Fund (grant# 0208-00018B).
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Affiliation(s)
- Stine Sf Nielsen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Line K Vibholm
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark
| | - Ida Monrad
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark
| | - Rikke Olesen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark
| | | | - Marie H Pahus
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Jesper F Højen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark
| | - Jesper D Gunst
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | | | - Andreas Holleufer
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Rune Hartmann
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Lars Østergaard
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Ole S Søgaard
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | | | - Martin Tolstrup
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Denmark
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5
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Monrad I, Sahlertz SR, Nielsen SSF, Pedersen LØ, Petersen MS, Kobel CM, Tarpgaard IH, Storgaard M, Mortensen KL, Schleimann MH, Tolstrup M, Vibholm LK. Persistent Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection in Immunocompromised Host Displaying Treatment Induced Viral Evolution. Open Forum Infect Dis 2021; 8:ofab295. [PMID: 34258320 PMCID: PMC8244814 DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofab295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [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: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We report a coronavirus disease 2019 case with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) persisting beyond 333 days in an immunocompromised patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, asymptomatically carrying infectious SARS-CoV-2 at day 197 postdiagnosis. In addition, viral sequencing indicates major changes in the spike protein over time, temporally associated with convalescent plasma treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ida Monrad
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Stine Sofie Frank Nielsen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | | | - Carl Mathias Kobel
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Merete Storgaard
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | | | - Martin Tolstrup
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Line K Vibholm
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
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6
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Gunst JD, Staerke NB, Pahus MH, Kristensen LH, Bodilsen J, Lohse N, Dalgaard LS, Brønnum D, Fröbert O, Hønge B, Johansen IS, Monrad I, Erikstrup C, Rosendal R, Vilstrup E, Mariager T, Bove DG, Offersen R, Shakar S, Cajander S, Jørgensen NP, Sritharan SS, Breining P, Jespersen S, Mortensen KL, Jensen ML, Kolte L, Frattari GS, Larsen CS, Storgaard M, Nielsen LP, Tolstrup M, Sædder EA, Østergaard LJ, Ngo HT, Jensen MH, Højen JF, Kjolby M, Søgaard OS. Efficacy of the TMPRSS2 inhibitor camostat mesilate in patients hospitalized with Covid-19-a double-blind randomized controlled trial. EClinicalMedicine 2021; 35:100849. [PMID: 33903855 PMCID: PMC8060682 DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2021.100849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The trans-membrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) is essential for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) cell entry and infection. Efficacy and safety of TMPRSS2 inhibitors in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) have not been evaluated in randomized trials. METHODS We conducted an investigator-initiated, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled multicenter trial in patients hospitalized with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection from April 4, to December 31, 2020. Within 48 h of admission, participants were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to receive the TMPRSS2 inhibitor camostat mesilate 200 mg three times daily for 5 days or placebo. The primary outcome was time to discharge or clinical improvement measured as ≥2 points improvement on a 7-point ordinal scale. Other outcomes included 30-day mortality, safety and change in oropharyngeal viral load. FINDINGS 137 patients were assigned to receive camostat mesilate and 68 to placebo. Median time to clinical improvement was 5 days (interquartile range [IQR], 3 to 7) in the camostat group and 5 days (IQR, 2 to 10) in the placebo group (P = 0·31). The hazard ratio for 30-day mortality in the camostat compared with the placebo group was 0·82 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0·24 to 2·79; P = 0·75). The frequency of adverse events was similar in the two groups. Median change in viral load from baseline to day 5 in the camostat group was -0·22 log10 copies/mL (p <0·05) and -0·82 log10 in the placebo group (P <0·05). INTERPRETATION Under this protocol, camostat mesilate treatment was not associated with increased adverse events during hospitalization for Covid-19 and did not affect time to clinical improvement, progression to ICU admission or mortality. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04321096. EudraCT Number: 2020-001200-42.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesper D. Gunst
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Nina B. Staerke
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Marie H. Pahus
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Jacob Bodilsen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aalborg University Hospital, Denmark
| | - Nicolai Lohse
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hillerød, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Copenhagen University, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lars S. Dalgaard
- Department of Medicine, Regional Hospital West Jutland, Herning, Denmark
| | - Dorthe Brønnum
- Centre for Clinical Research, North Denmark Regional Hospital, Hjoerring, Denmark
| | - Ole Fröbert
- Faculty of Health, Dept. of Cardiology, Örebro University, Sweden
| | - Bo Hønge
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Internal Medicine, Randers Regional Hospital, Randers, Denmark
| | - Isik S. Johansen
- Research Unit for Infectious Diseases, Odense University Hospital, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark
| | - Ida Monrad
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Christian Erikstrup
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Regitze Rosendal
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Emil Vilstrup
- Department of Medicine, Viborg Regional Hospital, Denmark
| | - Theis Mariager
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aalborg University Hospital, Denmark
| | - Dorthe G. Bove
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hillerød, Denmark
| | - Rasmus Offersen
- Department of Medicine, Regional Hospital West Jutland, Herning, Denmark
| | - Shakil Shakar
- Department of Internal Medicine, North Denmark Regional Hospital, Denmark
- Department of Emergency Medicine, North Denmark Regional Hospital, Denmark
| | - Sara Cajander
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Nis P. Jørgensen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Internal Medicine, Randers Regional Hospital, Randers, Denmark
| | | | - Peter Breining
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Søren Jespersen
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hillerød, Denmark
| | - Klaus L. Mortensen
- Department of Medicine, Regional Hospital West Jutland, Herning, Denmark
| | - Mads L. Jensen
- Department of Medicine, Viborg Regional Hospital, Denmark
| | - Lilian Kolte
- Department of Lung and Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hillerød, Denmark
| | - Giacomo S. Frattari
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Carsten S. Larsen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Merete Storgaard
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Lars P. Nielsen
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Martin Tolstrup
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Eva A. Sædder
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Lars J. Østergaard
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Hien T.T. Ngo
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Morten H. Jensen
- Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
- Steno Diabetes Center North Denmark, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Jesper F. Højen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Mads Kjolby
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- DANDRITE, Deptarment of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus Denmark
- Steno Diabetes Center Aarhus, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark
- University of Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Ole S. Søgaard
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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7
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Mortensen JB, Monrad I, Enemark MB, Ludvigsen M, Kamper P, Bjerre M, d'Amore F. Soluble programmed cell death protein 1 (sPD-1) and the soluble programmed cell death ligands 1 and 2 (sPD-L1 and sPD-L2) in lymphoid malignancies. Eur J Haematol 2021; 107:81-91. [PMID: 33721375 DOI: 10.1111/ejh.13621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and its ligand 1 and 2 (PD-L1/PD-L2) regulate the immune system, and the checkpoint pathway can be exploited by malignant cells to evade anti-tumor immune response. Soluble forms (sPD-1/sPD-L1/sPD-L2) exist in the peripheral blood, but their biological and clinical significance is unclear. METHOD Time-resolved immunofluorometric assay (TRIFMA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to measure sPD-1, sPD-L1, and sPD-L2 levels in serum from 131 lymphoma patients and 22 healthy individuals. RESULTS Patients had higher sPD-1 and sPD-L2 levels than healthy individuals. In diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, patients with high International Prognostic Index score had higher sPD-1 levels and sPD-L2 levels correlated with subtype according to cell of origin. Compared to other lymphoma types, follicular lymphoma displayed higher sPD-1 and lower sPD-L1 levels along with lower ligand/receptor ratios. CONCLUSION This is the first study to simultaneously characterize pretherapeutic sPD-1, sPD-L1, and sPD-L2 in a variety of lymphoma subtypes. The relation between higher sPD-1 levels and adverse prognostic factors suggests a possible biological role and potential clinical usefulness of sPD-1. Moreover, the reverse expression pattern in follicular lymphoma and T-cell lymphoma/leukemia may reflect biological information relevant for immunotherapy targeting the PD-1 pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie B Mortensen
- Department of Hematology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Ida Monrad
- Department of Hematology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Marie B Enemark
- Department of Hematology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Maja Ludvigsen
- Department of Hematology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Peter Kamper
- Department of Hematology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Mette Bjerre
- Medical/SDCA Research Laboratory, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Francesco d'Amore
- Department of Hematology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
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8
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Vibholm LK, Nielsen SSF, Pahus MH, Frattari GS, Olesen R, Andersen R, Monrad I, Andersen AHF, Thomsen MM, Konrad CV, Andersen SD, Højen JF, Gunst JD, Østergaard L, Søgaard OS, Schleimann MH, Tolstrup M. SARS-CoV-2 persistence is associated with antigen-specific CD8 T-cell responses. EBioMedicine 2021; 64:103230. [PMID: 33530000 PMCID: PMC7847186 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2021.103230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [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] [Revised: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Upon SARS-CoV-2 infection, most individuals develop neutralizing antibodies and T-cell immunity. However, some individuals reportedly remain SARS-CoV-2 PCR positive by pharyngeal swabs weeks after recovery. Whether viral RNA in these persistent carriers is contagious and stimulates SARS-CoV-2-specific immune responses is unknown. METHODS This cohort study was conducted between April 3rd-July 9th 2020, recruiting COVID-19 recovered individuals that were symptom-free for at least 14 days. We collected serum for SARS-CoV-2-specific total Ig, IgA and IgM detection by ELISA, pharyngeal swabs (two time points) for ddPCR and PBMCs for anti-SARS-CoV-2 CD8 T-cell dextramer analyses. FINDINGS We enrolled 203 post-symptomatic participants with a previous RT-PCR-verified SARS-CoV-2 infection. At time point 1, a median of 23 days (range 15-44) after recovery, 26 individuals (12⋅8%) were PCR positive. At time point 2, 90 days (median, range 85-105) after recovery, 5 (5⋅3%) were positive. There was no difference in SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels between the PCR negative and positive group. The persistent PCR positive group however, had SARS-CoV-2-specific CD8 T-cell responses of significantly increased breadth and magnitude. Assisted contact tracing among persistent PCR positive individuals revealed zero new COVID-19 diagnoses among 757 close contacts. INTERPRETATION Persistent pharyngeal SARS-CoV-2 PCR positivity in post-symptomatic individuals is associated with elevated cellular immune responses and thus, the viral RNA may represent replicating virus. However, transmission to close contacts was not observed indicating that persistent PCR positive individuals are not contagious at the post-symptomatic stage of the infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Line K Vibholm
- Dept. of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark.
| | | | - Marie H Pahus
- Dept. of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | | | - Rikke Olesen
- Dept. of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark
| | - Rebecca Andersen
- Dept. of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark
| | - Ida Monrad
- Dept. of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark
| | | | | | | | | | - Jesper F Højen
- Dept. of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark
| | - Jesper D Gunst
- Dept. of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark; Dept. of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Lars Østergaard
- Dept. of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark; Dept. of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Ole S Søgaard
- Dept. of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark; Dept. of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | | | - Martin Tolstrup
- Dept. of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark; Dept. of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Denmark
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Beck Enemark M, Monrad I, Madsen C, Lystlund Lauridsen K, Honoré B, Plesner TL, Hamilton-Dutoit SJ, d'Amore F, Ludvigsen M. PD-1 Expression in Pre-Treatment Follicular Lymphoma Predicts the Risk of Subsequent High-Grade Transformation. Onco Targets Ther 2021; 14:481-489. [PMID: 33500624 PMCID: PMC7822223 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s289337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [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: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Follicular lymphoma (FL) is an indolent, yet generally incurable neoplasia with a median survival exceeding 10 years. However, a subset of FL patients experiences histological transformation (HT) to a more aggressive lymphoma, in the majority of cases to diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). This affects both the clinical course and the prognostic outcome, resulting in a markedly reduced survival after transformation. Thus, early risk stratification and prediction of patients at risk of HT would be highly valuable in the clinical setting. Here, we investigated the potential of the immune inhibitory programmed death 1 (PD-1) receptor as a biomarker predictive of HT. Patients and Methods Immunohistochemical staining and quantification by digital image analysis of PD-1 was performed on diagnostic tumor-tissue samples from FL patients with and without subsequent transformation (n=34 and n=46, respectively), and on paired samples from the transformed lymphoma (n=34). Results At the time of initial FL diagnosis, samples from patients with subsequent HT had significantly higher tumor-tissue expression of PD-1 compared with diagnostic FL samples from patients without subsequent HT (p=0.010). At the time of transformation, PD-1 expression was significantly reduced (p<0.001). No difference was observed in intra-follicular PD-1 expression at FL diagnosis between samples from patients with or without HT; however, high intra-follicular levels of PD-1 were associated with significantly shorter transformation-free survival times (p<0.043). Conclusion Our data suggest that pre-treatment tumor-tissue PD-1 expression already predicts the risk of subsequent transformation to DLBCL, as early as the time of FL diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Beck Enemark
- Department of Hematology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Ida Monrad
- Department of Hematology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Charlotte Madsen
- Department of Hematology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Bent Honoré
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | | | - Francesco d'Amore
- Department of Hematology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Maja Ludvigsen
- Department of Hematology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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