Understanding the hallmarks of the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 is critical for fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. We assessed antibody and T cell reactivity in convalescent COVID-19 patients and healthy donors sampled both prior to and during the pandemic. Healthy donors examined during the pandemic exhibited increased numbers of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells, but no humoral response. Their probable exposure to the virus resulted in either asymptomatic infection without antibody secretion, or activation of pre-existing immunity. In convalescent patients, we observed a public and diverse T cell response to SARS-CoV-2 epitopes, revealing T cell receptor (TCR) motifs with germline-encoded features. Bulk CD4 + and CD 8+ T cell responses to the spike glycoprotein were mediated by groups of homologous TCRs, some of them shared across multiple donors. Overall, our results demonstrate that the T cell response to SARS-CoV-2, including the identified set of TCRs, can serve as a useful biomarker for surveying antiviral immunity.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is characterized by the existence of subsets of patients with (quasi)identical, stereotyped B cell receptor immunoglobulins (BcR IG). Patients in certain major stereotyped subsets often display remarkably consistent clinicobiological profiles, suggesting that the study of BcR IG stereotypy in CLL has important implications for understanding disease pathophysiology and refining clinical decision-making. Nevertheless, several issues remain open, especially pertaining to the actual frequency of BcR IG stereotypy and major subsets, as well as the existence of higher-order connections between individual subsets. In order to address these issues, we investigated clonotypic IGHV-IGHD-IGHJ gene rearrangements in a series of 29,856 patients with CLL, by far the largest series worldwide. We report that the stereotyped fraction of CLL peaks at 41% of the entire cohort and that all 19 previously identified major subsets retained their relative size and ranking, while 10 new ones emerged; overall, major stereotyped subsets had a cumulative frequency of 13.5%. Higher-level relationships were evident between subsets, particularly for major stereotyped subsets with unmutated IGHV genes (U-CLL), for which close relations with other subsets, termed 'satellites', were identified. Satellite subsets accounted for 3% of the entire cohort. These results confirm our previous notion that major subsets can be robustly identified and are consistent in relative size, hence representing distinct disease variants amenable to compartmentalized research with the potential of overcoming the pronounced heterogeneity of CLL. Furthermore, the existence of satellite subsets reveals a novel aspect of repertoire restriction with implications for refined molecular classification of CLL.

Understanding the hallmarks of the adaptive immune response to SARS-CoV-2 is critical for fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. We assessed the antibody and T-cell reactivity in COVID-19 convalescent patients and healthy donors sampled both prior to and during the pandemic. The numbers of SARS- CoV-2-specific T cells were increased in healthy donors examined during COVID-19. Combined with the absence of symptoms and humoral response across that group, this finding suggests that some individuals might be protected by T-cell cross-reactivity. In convalescent patients we observed public and diverse T-cell response to SARS-CoV-2 epitopes, revealing T-cell receptor motifs with germline- encoded features. Bulk CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses to Spike glycoprotein were mediated by groups of homologous T-cell receptors, some of them shared across multiple donors. Overall, our results demonstrate that T-cell response to SARS-CoV-2, including the identified set of specific T-cell receptors, can serve as a useful biomarker for surveying viral exposure and immunity.

Mutational status of immunoglobulin variable region genes (VH-genes) is known as the strongest predictor of long term prognosis in B-CLL. However, applications in the routine clinical practice are time consuming, and therefore some other predictions are required. In this study, we have compared prognostic values of real time PCR quantification of the expression levels of four genes previously shown to be differentially expressed in V(H)-unmutated and mutated B-CLL subtypes: ZAP-70, ZBTB20, DMD and LPL. The study included 134 B-CLL patients. Expression levels of LPL and DMD genes were significantly correlated to mutational status, while expression levels of of ZAP-70 gene correlated only in CD19+ selected cases (N = 40). No correlation was observed for ZBTB20 gene. Expression levels of LPL and DMD predicted overall survival in the entire cohort of patients. Prognostic values of LPL gene expression levels were significant even for CLL patients with stage A. Quantitative RT-PCR assays for measuring LPL gene expression are robust enough to be introduced into routine clinical practice.

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) is a rare blood disease associated with the production of auto-antibodies and autoimmune hemolysis. A critical role of B-cells in the development of AIHA has been demonstrated before. Here, we present the analysis of the clonal T-cell populations in patients with AIHA. Thirty-three patients with AIHA were included in this study. Thirteen patients with other anemias, 14 patients with other autoimmune conditions (SLE - 6, RA - 8) and 20 healthy donors were included in the study as a control group. The clonality of T-cell was evaluated by the assessment of the T-cell receptor gamma and beta chain gene rearrangements (TCRG and TCRB). The incidence of T-cell monoclonality detected in patients with AIHA was significantly higher compared to the control group. The persistence of T-cell clones did not correlate with the level of hemoglobin and other signs of remission or relapse and did not disappear after the therapy and clinical improvement (observation period was between 1 and 10 years). There was no correlation between the T-cell clonality and the gender, age, splenectomy, duration or severity of the disease. Fractionation of T-lymphocytes (CD4+, CD8+, CD4+25+) revealed that the monoclonal T-cells belonged to the CD8+ sub-population. We assume that besides a possible causative role of the T-cell clones in AIHA to autoimmune process, these clones do not directly participate in the development and maintenance of hemolysis. Most of the AIHA patients (48.5%) demonstrated a T-cell monoclonality, which requires monitoring and should be distinguished from T-cell tumors.