A previously treated severe haemophilia A patient developed high-titre inhibitor after vaccinations

The factor VIII (FVIII)-neutralizing antibody (inhibitor) seen in 25%–30% of patients with severe haemophilia A (SHA). Vaccination is a non-genetic risk factor of inhibitor development as ‘danger signal’ which may provide a pro-inflammatory microenvironment to increase FVIII immunogenicity. We reported a previously treated SHA patient postponed the first vaccination to 15-month age received diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus intramuscularly. At 18-month age, the patient received Hepatitis A intramuscularly and Varicella Zoster Virus subcutaneously with 2 weeks interval and FVIII infusion was given <24 h prior for each. Successive bleedings occurred 1 week later with inefficacy of FVIII replacement. High-titre inhibitor was tested at 117 exposure days. This case suggested that continuous vaccinations in close proximity to FVIII could induce inhibitor. The relationship between vaccination and FVIII immunogenicity still needs to be revealed by further study.

Oxidation of factor VIII increases its immunogenicity in mice with severe hemophilia A

The development of antibodies against therapeutic factor VIII (FVIII) represents the major complication of replacement therapy in patients with severe hemophilia A. Amongst the environmental risk factors that influence the anti-FVIII immune response, the presence of active bleeding or hemarthrosis has been evoked. Endothelium damage is typically associated with the release of oxidative compounds. Here, we addressed whether oxidation contributes to FVIII immunogenicity. The control with N-acetyl cysteine of the oxidative status in FVIII-deficient mice, a model of severe hemophilia A, reduced the immune response to exogenous FVIII. Ex vivo exposure of therapeutic FVIII to HOCl induced a mild oxidation of the molecule as evidenced by the loss of free amines and resulted in increased FVIII immunogenicity in vivo when compared to native FVIII. The increased immunogenicity of oxidized FVIII was not reverted by treatment of mice with N-acetyl cysteine, and did not implicate an increased maturation of professional antigen-presenting cells. Our data document that oxidation influences the immunogenicity of therapeutic FVIII.