tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Mult Scler Relat Disord
. 2021 Jul 21;55:103157.
doi: 10.1016/j.msard.2021.103157. Online ahead of print.
T-cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 in multiple sclerosis patients treated with ocrelizumab healed from COVID-19 with absent or low anti-spike antibody titers
Marco Iannetta[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Doriana Landi[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Gaia Cola[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Vincenzo Malagnino[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Elisabetta Teti[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Daniela Fraboni[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Francesco Buccisano[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Sandro Grelli[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Luigi Coppola[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Laura Campogiani[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Massimo Andreoni[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Girolama Alessandra Marfia[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Loredana Sarmati[SUP] 3 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: Disease modifying therapies for multiple sclerosis (MS) can impair the specific immune response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Specifically, it is recognized that ocrelizumab reduces or abrogates anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody production after natural infection or vaccination, while very little is known about T-cell responses.
Methods: We developed an interferon (IFN)-γ release assay (IGRA) to detect T-cell responses specific to SARS-CoV-2 after overnight stimulation of whole blood with peptide libraries covering the immunodominant sequence domains of the Spike glycoprotein (S) and the Nucleocapsid phosphoprotein (N).
Results: Five patients with MS receiving ocrelizumab treatment for at least 1 year and recovered from SARS-CoV-2 infection were enrolled in the study. Despite the absence or the very low concentration of anti-S antibodies, a T-cell response was detectable in all the five MS patients. These results are in accordance with the marked reduction of peripheral B-lymphocyte absolute counts induced by ocrelizumab, that, conversely, did not affect peripheral blood T-lymphocyte subset absolute and relative counts and CD4/CD8 ratio.
Conclusions: The detection of specific T-cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 in patients receiving B-cell depleting therapies represents a useful tool to improve the diagnostic approach in SARS-CoV-2 infection and to accurately assess the immunological response after natural infection or vaccination.
Keywords: CD20; Disease modifying therapies; IGRA; Interferon-gamma; Stimulation; T-lymphocyte, peptides.
. 2021 Jul 21;55:103157.
doi: 10.1016/j.msard.2021.103157. Online ahead of print.
T-cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 in multiple sclerosis patients treated with ocrelizumab healed from COVID-19 with absent or low anti-spike antibody titers
Marco Iannetta[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Doriana Landi[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Gaia Cola[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Vincenzo Malagnino[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Elisabetta Teti[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Daniela Fraboni[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Francesco Buccisano[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Sandro Grelli[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Luigi Coppola[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Laura Campogiani[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Massimo Andreoni[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Girolama Alessandra Marfia[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Loredana Sarmati[SUP] 3 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 34418737
- DOI: 10.1016/j.msard.2021.103157
Abstract
Background: Disease modifying therapies for multiple sclerosis (MS) can impair the specific immune response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Specifically, it is recognized that ocrelizumab reduces or abrogates anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody production after natural infection or vaccination, while very little is known about T-cell responses.
Methods: We developed an interferon (IFN)-γ release assay (IGRA) to detect T-cell responses specific to SARS-CoV-2 after overnight stimulation of whole blood with peptide libraries covering the immunodominant sequence domains of the Spike glycoprotein (S) and the Nucleocapsid phosphoprotein (N).
Results: Five patients with MS receiving ocrelizumab treatment for at least 1 year and recovered from SARS-CoV-2 infection were enrolled in the study. Despite the absence or the very low concentration of anti-S antibodies, a T-cell response was detectable in all the five MS patients. These results are in accordance with the marked reduction of peripheral B-lymphocyte absolute counts induced by ocrelizumab, that, conversely, did not affect peripheral blood T-lymphocyte subset absolute and relative counts and CD4/CD8 ratio.
Conclusions: The detection of specific T-cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 in patients receiving B-cell depleting therapies represents a useful tool to improve the diagnostic approach in SARS-CoV-2 infection and to accurately assess the immunological response after natural infection or vaccination.
Keywords: CD20; Disease modifying therapies; IGRA; Interferon-gamma; Stimulation; T-lymphocyte, peptides.