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2.
J Virus Erad ; 10(3): 100386, 2024 Sep.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39364082

ABSTRACT

Analytical treatment interruptions (ATIs) are widely used to evaluate HIV cure-related research interventions. However, sex partners of cure-related trial participants might be at risk of acquiring HIV during ATIs. Addressing this risk is key to ensuring the continued success of trials involving ATIs and offer greater acceptability across multiple trials sites. In 2022, the Advancing Clinical Therapeutics Globally (ACTG) Network convened a Partner Protections Working Group (PPWG) to update the 2020 HIV transmission risk toolkit developed by Peluso and colleagues. In our review of the original toolkit, we identified new challenges and needs at the participant, partner and study levels, as well as new evidence on measures to address these needs and more advanced ethical thinking on partner protections in HIV cure-related trials with ATIs. Based on these findings, we developed an updated toolkit that will provide trial participants and their partners with better support to address new and unfamiliar situations and protect partners from undue harm. We present this toolkit, make it available as a resource for cure-related trials with ATIs and discuss possible future directions.

3.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39389851

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To determine the proportion of individuals with detectable antigen in plasma or serum after SARS-CoV-2 infection and the association of antigen detection with postacute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) symptoms. METHODS: Plasma and serum samples were collected from adults participating in four independent studies at different time points, ranging from several days up to 14 months post-SARS-CoV-2 infection. The primary outcome measure was to quantify SARS-CoV-2 antigens, including the S1 subunit of spike, full-length spike, and nucleocapsid, in participant samples. The presence of 34 commonly reported PASC symptoms during the postacute period was determined from participant surveys or chart reviews of electronic health records. RESULTS: Of the 1569 samples analysed from 706 individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2, 21% (95% CI, 18-24%) were positive for either S1, spike, or nucleocapsid. Spike was predominantly detected, and the highest proportion of samples was spike positive (20%; 95% CI, 18-22%) between 4 and 7 months postinfection. In total, 578 participants (82%) reported at least one of the 34 PASC symptoms included in our analysis ≥1 month postinfection. Cardiopulmonary, musculoskeletal, and neurologic symptoms had the highest reported prevalence in over half of all participants, and among those participants, 43% (95% CI, 40-45%) on average were antigen-positive. Among the participants who reported no ongoing symptoms (128, 18%), antigen was detected in 28 participants (21%). The presence of antigen was associated with the presence of one or more PASC symptoms, adjusting for sex, age, time postinfection, and cohort (OR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.4-2.2). DISCUSSION: The findings of this multicohort study indicate that SARS-CoV-2 antigens can be detected in the blood of a substantial proportion of individuals up to 14 months after infection. While approximately one in five asymptomatic individuals was antigen-positive, roughly half of all individuals reporting ongoing cardiopulmonary, musculoskeletal, and neurologic symptoms were antigen-positive.

4.
AIDS Behav ; 2024 Sep 17.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39287733

ABSTRACT

The goal of HIV cure research is to either eliminate HIV from the body or durably suppress it in the absence of antiretroviral therapy (ART). This research often requires participants to interrupt ART. However, there are numerous risks associated with ART interruptions and therefore it is critical to understand how people with HIV (PWH) who participate recall the elements of consent, to safeguard their rights and welfare. Participants were recruited from the SCOPE Analytic Treatment Interruption (SCOPE-ATI: NCT04359186) study at the University of California San Francisco. We interviewed 12 SCOPE-ATI participants to assess their recall of informed consent elements and therapeutic misconception, using the Brief Informed Consent Evaluation Protocol (BICEP). Interviewees were primarily older adults, male, White, and non-Hispanic/Latinx. Their responses indicated that they understood the primary purpose of the SCOPE-ATI study to be scientific research. Nearly all participants demonstrated high recall of key elements of consent and no therapeutic misconception. We also found that the role of study staff was a major factor in participants' appraisal of risks and that associated psychosocial risks of pausing ART were of minimal concern (e.g., anxiety off ART, possible forward HIV transmission to sex partners). As HIV cure research expands, it is important to reiterate the duty of the investigative team to clearly communicate with participants about the associated risks and to assess their understanding throughout these studies.

5.
Cell ; 187(20): 5500-5529, 2024 Oct 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39326415

ABSTRACT

Long COVID, a type of post-acute sequelae of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (PASC) defined by medically unexplained symptoms following infection with SARS-CoV-2, is a newly recognized infection-associated chronic condition that causes disability in some people. Substantial progress has been made in defining its epidemiology, biology, and pathophysiology. However, there is no cure for the tens of millions of people believed to be experiencing long COVID, and industry engagement in developing therapeutics has been limited. Here, we review the current state of knowledge regarding the biology and pathophysiology of long COVID, focusing on how the proposed mechanisms explain the physiology of the syndrome and how they provide a rationale for the implementation of a broad experimental medicine and clinical trials agenda. Progress toward preventing and curing long COVID and other infection-associated chronic conditions will require deep and sustained investment by funders and industry.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome , SARS-CoV-2 , Humans , COVID-19/virology , COVID-19/complications , COVID-19/therapy , Animals , COVID-19 Drug Treatment
6.
J Infect Dis ; 2024 Aug 28.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39207259

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: During antiretroviral therapy (ART), the HIV reservoir exhibits variability as cells with intact genomes decay faster than those with defective genomes, especially in the first years of therapy. The host factors influencing this decay are yet to be characterized. METHODS: Observational study in 74 PWH on ART, of whom 70 (94.6%) were male. We used the intact proviral DNA assay to measure intact proviruses and Luminex immunoassay to measure 32 inflammatory cytokines in plasma. Linear spline models, with a knot at seven years, evaluated the impact of baseline cytokine levels and their trajectories on intact HIV kinetics over these years. RESULTS: Baseline Gal-9 was the most predictive marker for intact HIV kinetics, with lower Gal-9 predicting faster decay over the subsequent seven years. For each 10-fold decrease in Gal-9 at baseline, there was a mean 45% (95%CI 14%-84%) greater decay of intact HIV genomes per year. Conversely, higher baseline ITAC, IL-17, and MIP-1α predicted faster intact HIV decreases. Longitudinal changes in MIP-3α and IL-6 levels strongly associated with intact HIV kinetics, with a 10-fold increase in MIP-3α and a 10-fold decrease in IL-6 associated with a a 9.5% and 10% faster decay of intact HIV genomes per year, respectively. CONCLUSION: The pronounced association between baseline Gal-9 levels and subsequent intact HIV decay suggests that strategies reducing Gal-9 levels could accelerate reservoir decay. Additionally, the correlations of MIP-3α and IL-6 with HIV kinetics indicate a broader cytokine-mediated regulatory network, hinting at multi-targeted interventions that could modulate HIV reservoir dynamics.

7.
Ann Intern Med ; 177(9): 1209-1221, 2024 Sep.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39133923

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: There are currently no validated clinical biomarkers of postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC). OBJECTIVE: To investigate clinical laboratory markers of SARS-CoV-2 and PASC. DESIGN: Propensity score-weighted linear regression models were fitted to evaluate differences in mean laboratory measures by prior infection and PASC index (≥12 vs. 0). (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05172024). SETTING: 83 enrolling sites. PARTICIPANTS: RECOVER-Adult cohort participants with or without SARS-CoV-2 infection with a study visit and laboratory measures 6 months after the index date (or at enrollment if >6 months after the index date). Participants were excluded if the 6-month visit occurred within 30 days of reinfection. MEASUREMENTS: Participants completed questionnaires and standard clinical laboratory tests. RESULTS: Among 10 094 participants, 8746 had prior SARS-CoV-2 infection, 1348 were uninfected, 1880 had a PASC index of 12 or higher, and 3351 had a PASC index of zero. After propensity score adjustment, participants with prior infection had a lower mean platelet count (265.9 × 109 cells/L [95% CI, 264.5 to 267.4 × 109 cells/L]) than participants without known prior infection (275.2 × 109 cells/L [CI, 268.5 to 282.0 × 109 cells/L]), as well as higher mean hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level (5.58% [CI, 5.56% to 5.60%] vs. 5.46% [CI, 5.40% to 5.51%]) and urinary albumin-creatinine ratio (81.9 mg/g [CI, 67.5 to 96.2 mg/g] vs. 43.0 mg/g [CI, 25.4 to 60.6 mg/g]), although differences were of modest clinical significance. The difference in HbA1c levels was attenuated after participants with preexisting diabetes were excluded. Among participants with prior infection, no meaningful differences in mean laboratory values were found between those with a PASC index of 12 or higher and those with a PASC index of zero. LIMITATION: Whether differences in laboratory markers represent consequences of or risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection could not be determined. CONCLUSION: Overall, no evidence was found that any of the 25 routine clinical laboratory values assessed in this study could serve as a clinically useful biomarker of PASC. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: National Institutes of Health.


Subject(s)
Biomarkers , COVID-19 , Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome , SARS-CoV-2 , Humans , COVID-19/complications , COVID-19/diagnosis , COVID-19/blood , Male , Female , Middle Aged , Biomarkers/blood , Propensity Score , Aged , Adult , Glycated Hemoglobin/analysis , Cohort Studies
8.
Nat Commun ; 15(1): 7466, 2024 Aug 29.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39198441

ABSTRACT

To understand the roles of acute-phase viral dynamics and host immune responses in post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), we enrolled 136 participants within 5 days of their first positive SARS-CoV-2 real-time PCR test. Participants self-collected up to 21 nasal specimens within the first 28 days post-symptom onset; interviewer-administered questionnaires and blood samples were collected at enrollment, days 9, 14, 21, 28, and month 4 and 8 post-symptom onset. Defining PASC as the presence of any COVID-associated symptom at their 4-month visit, we compared viral markers (quantity and duration of nasal viral RNA load, infectious viral load, and plasma N-antigen level) and host immune markers (IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, IFN-α, IFN-γ, MCP, IP-10, and Spike IgG) over the acute period. Compared to those who fully recovered, those reporting PASC demonstrated significantly higher maximum levels of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and N-antigen, burden of RNA and infectious viral shedding, and lower Spike-specific IgG levels within 9 days post-illness onset. No significant differences were identified among a panel of host immune markers. Our results suggest early viral dynamics and the associated host immune responses play a role in the pathogenesis of PASC, highlighting the importance of understanding early biological markers in the natural history of PASC.


Subject(s)
Biomarkers , COVID-19 , RNA, Viral , SARS-CoV-2 , Viral Load , Humans , COVID-19/immunology , COVID-19/virology , COVID-19/blood , SARS-CoV-2/immunology , SARS-CoV-2/isolation & purification , Male , Female , Adult , Biomarkers/blood , RNA, Viral/blood , Middle Aged , Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome , Aged , Cytokines/blood , Antibodies, Viral/blood , Antibodies, Viral/immunology , Immunoglobulin G/blood , Immunoglobulin G/immunology
9.
Sci Transl Med ; 16(754): eadk3295, 2024 Jul 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38959327

ABSTRACT

The mechanisms of postacute medical conditions and unexplained symptoms after SARS-CoV-2 infection [Long Covid (LC)] are incompletely understood. There is growing evidence that viral persistence, immune dysregulation, and T cell dysfunction may play major roles. We performed whole-body positron emission tomography imaging in a well-characterized cohort of 24 participants at time points ranging from 27 to 910 days after acute SARS-CoV-2 infection using the radiopharmaceutical agent [18F]F-AraG, a selective tracer that allows for anatomical quantitation of activated T lymphocytes. Tracer uptake in the postacute COVID-19 group, which included those with and without continuing symptoms, was higher compared with prepandemic controls in many regions, including the brain stem, spinal cord, bone marrow, nasopharyngeal and hilar lymphoid tissue, cardiopulmonary tissues, and gut wall. T cell activation in the spinal cord and gut wall was associated with the presence of LC symptoms. In addition, tracer uptake in lung tissue was higher in those with persistent pulmonary symptoms specifically. Increased T cell activation in these tissues was also observed in many individuals without LC. Given the high [18F]F-AraG uptake detected in the gut, we obtained colorectal tissue for in situ hybridization of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and immunohistochemical studies in a subset of five participants with LC symptoms. We identified intracellular SARS-CoV-2 single-stranded spike protein-encoding RNA in rectosigmoid lamina propria tissue in all five participants and double-stranded spike protein-encoding RNA in three participants up to 676 days after initial COVID-19, suggesting that tissue viral persistence could be associated with long-term immunologic perturbations.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Lymphocyte Activation , Positron-Emission Tomography , RNA, Viral , SARS-CoV-2 , T-Lymphocytes , Humans , COVID-19/immunology , COVID-19/virology , COVID-19/pathology , T-Lymphocytes/immunology , Male , Middle Aged , Female , Adult , Aged , Lung/virology , Lung/pathology , Lung/diagnostic imaging , Time Factors
10.
J Infect Dis ; 2024 Jul 16.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39011957

ABSTRACT

Host metabolic dysregulation, especially in tryptophan metabolism, is intricately linked to COVID-19 severity and its post-acute sequelae (Long COVID). People living with HIV (PLWH) experience similar metabolic dysregulation and face an increased risk of developing Long COVID. However, whether pre-existing HIV-associated metabolic dysregulations contribute in predisposing PLWH to severe COVID-19 outcomes remains underexplored. Analyzing pre-pandemic samples from PLWH with documented post-infection outcomes, we found specific metabolic alterations, including increased tryptophan catabolism, predicting an elevated risk of severe COVID-19 and the incidence of Long COVID. These alterations warrant further investigation for their potential prognostic and mechanistic significance in determining COVID-19 complications.

11.
Commun Biol ; 7(1): 793, 2024 Jul 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38951146

ABSTRACT

Brown and brown-like adipose tissues have attracted significant attention for their role in metabolism and therapeutic potential in diabetes and obesity. Despite compelling evidence of an interplay between adipocytes and lymphocytes, the involvement of these tissues in immune responses remains largely unexplored. This study explicates a newfound connection between neuroinflammation and brown- and bone marrow adipose tissue. Leveraging the use of [18F]F-AraG, a mitochondrial metabolic tracer capable of tracking activated lymphocytes and adipocytes simultaneously, we demonstrate, in models of glioblastoma and multiple sclerosis, the correlation between intracerebral immune infiltration and changes in brown- and bone marrow adipose tissue. Significantly, we show initial evidence that a neuroinflammation-adipose tissue link may also exist in humans. This study proposes the concept of an intricate immuno-neuro-adipose circuit, and highlights brown- and bone marrow adipose tissue as an intermediary in the communication between the immune and nervous systems. Understanding the interconnectedness within this circuitry may lead to advancements in the treatment and management of various conditions, including cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and metabolic disorders.


Subject(s)
Adipose Tissue, Brown , Neuroinflammatory Diseases , Animals , Humans , Adipose Tissue, Brown/metabolism , Neuroinflammatory Diseases/immunology , Neuroinflammatory Diseases/metabolism , Neuroinflammatory Diseases/pathology , Bone Marrow/metabolism , Mice , Male , Glioblastoma/pathology , Glioblastoma/immunology , Glioblastoma/metabolism , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Female , Multiple Sclerosis/pathology , Multiple Sclerosis/immunology , Multiple Sclerosis/metabolism , Multiple Sclerosis/diagnostic imaging , Positron-Emission Tomography
13.
medRxiv ; 2024 Aug 22.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38585951

ABSTRACT

Despite antiretroviral therapy (ART), HIV persists in latently-infected cells ("the reservoir") which decay slowly over time. Here, leveraging >500 longitudinal samples from 67 people with HIV (PWH) treated during acute infection, we developed a novel mathematical model to predict reservoir decay from peripheral CD4+ T cells. Nonlinear generalized additive models demonstrated rapid biphasic decay of intact DNA (week 0-5: t1/2~2.83 weeks; week 5-24: t1/2~15.4 weeks) that extended out to 1 year. These estimates were ~5-fold faster than prior decay estimates among chronic treated PWH. Defective DNA had a similar biphasic pattern, but data were more variable. Predicted intact and defective decay rates were faster for PWH with earlier timing of ART initiation, higher initial CD4+ T cell count, and lower pre-ART viral load. These data add to our limited understanding of HIV reservoir decay at the time of ART initiation, informing future curative strategies targeting this critical time.

14.
Am J Ophthalmol ; 265: 48-53, 2024 Sep.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38663502

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To investigate the prevalence, patterns, and predictors of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and culturable virus in tears of a case-ascertained household cohort. DESIGN: Prospective, longitudinal case-ascertained household cohort identified through convenience sampling. METHODS: This analysis was restricted to individuals who were non-hospitalized, symptomatic, and tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by nasal RT-PCR. Tears and anterior nasal biospecimens were serially collected throughout the acute period. Tears specimens were collected by the study staff using Schirmer test strips, and nasal specimens were self-collected. For both, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was quantified using qRT-PCR, and culturable virus was detected using presence of cytopathic effect (CPE) in tissue culture; positive CPE was confirmed by a qRT-PCR step. A series of cross-sectional unadjusted analyses were performed investigating the relationship between different sociodemographic determinants and biological factors associated with tears RNA positivity. RESULTS: Among the 83 SARS-CoV-2 infected participants, 10 (12%) had at least one RNA-positive tears specimen. Amongst these 10, 5 (50%) had concurrent presence of culturable virus, at a median of 7 days postsymptom onset (IQR: 4-7 days) (absolute range: 4-8 days). CONCLUSIONS: In this longitudinal cohort, we found evidence of culturable virus in the tears of a small proportion of nonhospitalized SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals. Current public health infection precautions do not account for transmission via tears, so these findings may improve our understanding of potential sources of SARS-CoV-2 transmission and contribute to developing future guidelines.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , RNA, Viral , SARS-CoV-2 , Tears , Humans , COVID-19/epidemiology , COVID-19/virology , COVID-19/diagnosis , SARS-CoV-2/genetics , Male , Female , RNA, Viral/genetics , RNA, Viral/analysis , Prospective Studies , Tears/virology , Prevalence , Adult , Middle Aged , Cross-Sectional Studies , COVID-19 Nucleic Acid Testing , Eye Infections, Viral/virology , Eye Infections, Viral/epidemiology , Eye Infections, Viral/diagnosis , Family Characteristics , Aged , Longitudinal Studies
15.
Semin Immunol ; 72: 101873, 2024 Mar.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38460395

ABSTRACT

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, significant progress has been made in developing effective preventive and therapeutic strategies against severe acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, the management of Long COVID (LC), an infection-associated chronic condition that has been estimated to affect 5-20% of individuals following SARS-CoV-2 infection, remains challenging due to our limited understanding of its mechanisms. Although LC is a heterogeneous disease that is likely to have several subtypes, immune system disturbances appear common across many cases. The extent to which these immune perturbations contribute to LC symptoms, however, is not entirely clear. Recent advancements in multi-omics technologies, capable of detailed, cell-level analysis, have provided valuable insights into the immune perturbations associated with LC. Although these studies are largely descriptive in nature, they are the crucial first step towards a deeper understanding of the condition and the immune system's role in its development, progression, and resolution. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of immune perturbations in LC, covering both innate and adaptive immune responses, and the cytokines and analytes involved. We explore whether these findings support or challenge the primary hypotheses about LC's underlying mechanisms. We also discuss the crosstalk between various immune system components and how it can be disrupted in LC. Finally, we emphasize the need for more tissue- and subtype-focused analyses of LC, and for enhanced collaborative efforts to analyze common specimens from large cohorts, including those undergoing therapeutic interventions. These collective efforts are vital to unravel the fundaments of this new disease, and could also shed light on the prevention and treatment of the larger family of chronic illnesses linked to other microbial infections.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome , Humans , Pandemics , SARS-CoV-2 , Adaptive Immunity , Systems Analysis , Immunity, Innate
16.
medRxiv ; 2024 Feb 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38405967

ABSTRACT

The latent reservoir of HIV persists for decades in people living with HIV (PWH) on antiretroviral therapy (ART). To determine if persistence arises from the natural dynamics of memory CD4+ T cells harboring HIV, we compared the clonal dynamics of HIV proviruses to that of memory CD4+ T cell receptors (TCRß) from the same PWH and from HIV-seronegative people. We show that clonal dominance of HIV proviruses and antigen-specific CD4+ T cells are similar but that the field's understanding of the persistence of the less clonally dominant reservoir is significantly limited by undersampling. We demonstrate that increasing reservoir clonality over time and differential decay of intact and defective proviruses cannot be explained by mCD4+ T cell kinetics alone. Finally, we develop a stochastic model of TCRß and proviruses that recapitulates experimental observations and suggests that HIV-specific negative selection mediates approximately 6% of intact and 2% of defective proviral clearance. Thus, HIV persistence is mostly, but not entirely, driven by natural mCD4+ T cell kinetics.

17.
J Med Virol ; 96(1): e29333, 2024 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38175151

ABSTRACT

Oral nirmatrelvir/ritonavir is approved as treatment for acute COVID-19, but the effect of treatment during acute infection on risk of Long COVID is unknown. We hypothesized that nirmatrelvir treatment during acute SARS-CoV-2 infection reduces risk of developing Long COVID and rebound after treatment is associated with Long COVID. We conducted an observational cohort study within the Covid Citizen Science (CCS) study, an online cohort study with over 100 000 participants. We included vaccinated, nonhospitalized, nonpregnant individuals who reported their first SARS-CoV-2 positive test March-August 2022. Oral nirmatrelvir/ritonavir treatment was ascertained during acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. Patient-reported Long COVID symptoms, symptom rebound and test-positivity rebound were asked on subsequent surveys at least 3 months after SARS-CoV-2 infection. A total of 4684 individuals met the eligibility criteria, of whom 988 (21.1%) were treated and 3696 (78.9%) were untreated; 353/988 (35.7%) treated and 1258/3696 (34.0%) untreated responded to the Long COVID survey (n = 1611). Among 1611 participants, median age was 55 years and 66% were female. At 5.4 ± 1.3 months after infection, nirmatrelvir treatment was not associated with subsequent Long COVID symptoms (odds ratio [OR]: 1.15; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.80-1.64; p = 0.45). Among 666 treated who answered rebound questions, rebound symptoms or test positivity were not associated with Long COVID symptoms (OR: 1.34; 95% CI: 0.74-2.41; p = 0.33). Within this cohort of vaccinated, nonhospitalized individuals, oral nirmatrelvir treatment during acute SARS-CoV-2 infection and rebound after nirmatrelvir treatment were not associated with Long COVID symptoms more than 90 days after infection.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome , Female , Humans , Middle Aged , Male , Ritonavir , Cohort Studies , SARS-CoV-2
18.
Nat Immunol ; 25(2): 218-225, 2024 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38212464

ABSTRACT

Long COVID (LC) occurs after at least 10% of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections, yet its etiology remains poorly understood. We used 'omic" assays and serology to deeply characterize the global and SARS-CoV-2-specific immunity in the blood of individuals with clear LC and non-LC clinical trajectories, 8 months postinfection. We found that LC individuals exhibited systemic inflammation and immune dysregulation. This was evidenced by global differences in T cell subset distribution implying ongoing immune responses, as well as by sex-specific perturbations in cytolytic subsets. LC individuals displayed increased frequencies of CD4+ T cells poised to migrate to inflamed tissues and exhausted SARS-CoV-2-specific CD8+ T cells, higher levels of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and a mis-coordination between their SARS-CoV-2-specific T and B cell responses. Our analysis suggested an improper crosstalk between the cellular and humoral adaptive immunity in LC, which can lead to immune dysregulation, inflammation and clinical symptoms associated with this debilitating condition.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , SARS-CoV-2 , Female , Male , Humans , Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome , CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes , Immunity, Humoral , Antibodies, Viral , Inflammation
19.
medRxiv ; 2023 Dec 29.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37961239

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Persistent symptoms among some persons who develop COVID-19 has led to the hypothesis that SARS-CoV-2 may, in some form or location, persist for long periods following acute infection. Several studies have shown data in this regard but are limited by non-representative and small study populations, short duration since acute infection, and lack of a true-negative comparator group to assess assay specificity. METHODS: We evaluated adults with RNA-confirmed COVID-19 at multiple time points following acute infection (pandemic-era participants) and adults with specimens collected prior to 2020 (pre-pandemic era). Using once-thawed plasma, we employed the Simoa® (Quanterix) single molecule array detection platform to measure SARS-CoV-2 spike, S1, and nucleocapsid antigens. RESULTS: Compared to 250 pre-pandemic participants who had 2% assay positivity, detection of any SARS-CoV-2 antigen was significantly more frequent among 171 pandemic-era participants at three different time periods in the post-acute phase of infection. The absolute difference in SARS-CoV-2 plasma antigen prevalence was +11% (95% CI: +5.0% to +16%) at 3.0-6.0 months post-onset of COVID-19; +8.7% (95% CI: +3.1% to +14%) at 6.1 to 10.0 months; and +5.4% (95% CI: +0.42% to +10%) at 10.1-14.1 months. Hospitalization for acute COVID-19 and, among the non-hospitalized, worse self-reported health during acute COVID-19 were associated with greater post-acute phase antigen detection. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to uninfected persons, there is an excess prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antigenemia in SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals up to 14 months after acute COVID-19. These findings motivate an urgent research agenda regarding the short-term and long-term clinical manifestations of this viral persistence.

20.
J Med Virol ; 95(11): e29216, 2023 11.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37988251

ABSTRACT

The associations between longitudinal dynamics and the breadth of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody (nAb) response with various Long COVID phenotypes before vaccination are not known. The capacity of antibodies to cross-neutralize a variety of viral variants may be associated with ongoing pathology and persistent symptoms. We measured longitudinal neutralizing and cross-neutralizing antibody responses to pre- and post-SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants in participants infected early in the COVID-19 pandemic, before widespread rollout of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Cross-sectional regression models adjusted for clinical covariates and longitudinal mixed-effects models were used to determine the impact of the breadth and rate of decay of neutralizing responses on the development of Long COVID symptoms, as well as Long COVID phenotypes. We identified several novel relationships between SARS-CoV-2 antibody neutralization and the presence of Long COVID symptoms. Specifically, we show that, although nAb responses to the original, infecting strain of SARS-CoV-2 were not associated with Long COVID in cross-sectional analyses, cross-neutralization ID50 levels to the Omicron BA.5 variant approximately 4 months following acute infection was independently and significantly associated with greater odds of Long COVID and with persistent gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms. Longitudinal modeling demonstrated significant associations in the overall levels and rates of decay of neutralization capacity with Long COVID phenotypes. A higher proportion of participants had antibodies capable of neutralizing Omicron BA.5 compared with BA.1 or XBB.1.5 variants. Our findings suggest that relationships between various immune responses and Long COVID are likely complex but may involve the breadth of antibody neutralization responses.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome , Humans , Antibodies, Neutralizing , COVID-19 Vaccines , Cross-Sectional Studies , Pandemics , SARS-CoV-2 , Antibodies, Viral
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