Impact of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination on systemic immune responses in people living with HIV

Abstract

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and an ongoing global pandemic. Despite the development of vaccines, which protect healthy people from severe and life-threatening COVID-19, the immunological responses of people with secondary immunodeficiencies to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines are currently not well understood. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), causing acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), targets CD4+ T helper (Th) cells that orchestrate the immune response. Anti-retroviral therapy suppresses HIV burden and restores Th cell numbers. Here, we investigated the humoral and cellular immune responses elicited by the BTN162b2 vaccine in a cohort of people living with HIV (PLWH), who receive anti-retroviral therapy. While antibody responses in PLWH increased progressively after the first and second vaccination compared to baseline, they were reduced compared to HIV negative study participants (controls). CD8+ T cells exhibited a general activated phenotype and increased effector and effector memory compartments. In contrast, CD4+ Th cell responses exhibited a vaccination-dependent increase and were comparable between PLWH and controls. In line with their reduced humoral response, the correlation between neutralizing antibodies and the CD4+ T cell response was decreased in PLWH compared to healthy controls. Interestingly, CD4+ T cell activation negatively correlated with the CD4 to CD8 ratio, indicating that low CD4 T cell numbers do not necessarily interfere with cellular immune responses. Taken together, our data demonstrate that COVID-19 mRNA vaccination in PLWH results in potent cellular immune responses, but the reduced antibody responses suggest that booster vaccination might be required for preventing disease.

Sexuell übertragbare Infektionen unter dem Einfluss der COVID-19-Pandemie

“…Bei weniger als 200/µl CD4-Lymphozyten ist nicht nur das Risiko für Infektionen erhöht, sondern auch das Impfansprechen

Impfansprechen

reduziert, sodass ggf. auch wiederholte Auffrischungen notwendig werden [ 14 ]. Bei PLWH unter funktionierender antiretroviraler Therapie und guter Immunrekonstitution scheint das Impfansprechen vergleichbar mit dem von Immungesunden, sodass hier neben der empfohlenen 4.…”