RESUMO
BACKGROUND: In Togo, few data are available on viral hepatitis in street adolescents, a vulnerable population due to their lifestyle. The aim of this study was to describe the lifestyle of street adolescents (sexual practices and drug use), to estimate the prevalence of hepatitis B and C viruses, and to describe their HBV immunization profile in Togo. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Lomé (Togo) in July 2021. Street adolescents aged between 13 and 19 years were included. A questionnaire was used to document lifestyle. ELISA tests were performed for Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), Hepatitis B core and surface antibodies (anti-HBc, anti-HBs), and antibodies against hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV). RESULTS: A total of 299 adolescents (5.4% female) with a median age of 15 years (IQR: 14-17) were included. Of these, 70.6% (211/299) were sexually active and 70.6% (149/211) had not used a condom during their last sexual intercourse. Drug use was reported by 42.1% of the adolescents. The most used substances were cannabis (39.0%), cocaine (36.6%), glue solvents (19.5%), and tramadol (11.4%). However, cocaine use may have been overestimated due to information bias. Current HBV infection (HBsAg+) was detected in 3.7% (95%CI: 1.9-6.5) of the adolescents. Isolated anti-HBc + was present in 5.3%. All three HBV markers (HBsAg, anti-HBs, and anti-HBc) were negative in 71.6% of adolescents. Anti-HCV was detected in 4.7% of adolescents. CONCLUSION: Nearly one in 10 street adolescents has markers for HBV contact/current infection, and approximately 72% of street adolescents may still be infected with HBV, as they have no HBV markers. HCV is also circulating in this population. Given the reported high-risk sexual practices and high levels of drug use, there is an urgent need to develop integrated strategies to prevent infections, including HBV, and drug dependence in this population.
Assuntos
Hepatite B , Hepatite C , Estilo de Vida , Humanos , Estudos Transversais , Adolescente , Feminino , Masculino , Hepatite B/epidemiologia , Hepatite C/epidemiologia , Adulto Jovem , Togo/epidemiologia , Jovens em Situação de Rua/estatística & dados numéricos , Comportamento Sexual/estatística & dados numéricos , Pobreza , Prevalência , Transtornos Relacionados ao Uso de Substâncias/epidemiologia , Populações Vulneráveis/estatística & dados numéricos , Inquéritos e QuestionáriosRESUMO
INTRODUCTION: Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a cause of pregnancy morbidity. We aim to determine the frequency of criteria and non-criteria anti-phospholipid (aPL) autoantibodies in patients admitted for unexplained fetal death (UFD), pre-eclampsia (PE) and/or fetal growth restriction (FGR). METHODS: All consecutive patients with UFD, PE and/or FGR followed in the department of Obstetrics, Bichat Hospital, University of Paris, Paris, between January 2019 and December 2021 were screened. Patients with available serum stored from the index pregnancy were included. Patients with previously known APS or twin pregnancy were excluded. Testing for aPL autoantibodies included anti-cardiolipin (aCL), anti-ß2GPI (aß2GPI), anti-phosphatidylethanolamine (aPE), anti-phosphatidylserine/prothrombin (aPS/PT) IgG/IgM and anti-annexin V IgG. When available, placenta specimens were analyzed by a pathologist blinded to the aPL status. All clinical characteristics, pregnancy features, and comorbidities were extracted from electronic medical records. RESULTS: Overall 167 (32 (28.8-35.7) years) patients with UFD (n = 28; 16.8 %), PE (n = 60; 35.9 %) and/or FGR (n = 105; 62.9 %) were screened for aPL autoantibodies. Moderate titers of aPL autoantibodies were detected in 33 (n = 33/167, 19.8 %) patients. aPL autoantibodies were non-criteria aPE IgG/IgM in most cases (n = 28/33, 84.8 %). aPS/PT IgG/IgM were found in 11 (n = 11/33, 33.3 %) cases and aCL or aß2GP1 IgG/IgM in 4 (n = 4/33, 12.1 %). Multivariable logistic regression showed that aPL autoantibodies were mostly associated with UFD (OR 4.37 [1.72-11.20], p = 0.002), PE ≤ 34th week of gestation (3.22 [0.86-11.90], p = 0.070) and chronic deciduitis (8.03 [0.89-67.2], p = 0.060) DISCUSSION: The frequency of aPL autoantibodies, mostly aPE, is high in patients with late pregnancy morbidity and may qualify obstetrical APS.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Advances in high-throughput sequencing (HTS) technologies and reductions in sequencing costs have revolutionised the study of genomics and molecular biology by making whole-genome sequencing (WGS) accessible to many laboratories. However, the analysis of WGS data requires significant computational effort, which is the major drawback in implementing WGS as a routine laboratory technique. OBJECTIVE: Automated pipelines have been developed to overcome this issue, but they do not exist for all organisms. This is the case for human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which is a leading cause of lower respiratory tract infections in infants, the elderly, and immunocompromised adults. RESULTS: We present RSV-GenoScan, a fast and easy-to-use pipeline for WGS analysis of RSV generated by HTS on Illumina or Nanopore platforms. RSV-GenoScan automates the WGS analysis steps directly from the raw sequence data. The pipeline filters the sequence data, maps the reads to the RSV reference genomes, generates a consensus sequence, identifies the RSV subgroup, and lists amino acid mutations, insertions and deletions in the F and G viral genes. This enables the rapid identification of mutations in these coding genes that are known to confer resistance to monoclonal antibodies. AVAILABILITY: RSV-GenoScan is freely available at https://github.com/AlexandreD-bio/RSV-GenoScan.
Assuntos
Genoma Viral , Sequenciamento de Nucleotídeos em Larga Escala , Infecções por Vírus Respiratório Sincicial , Vírus Sincicial Respiratório Humano , Sequenciamento Completo do Genoma , Vírus Sincicial Respiratório Humano/genética , Vírus Sincicial Respiratório Humano/isolamento & purificação , Humanos , Genoma Viral/genética , Infecções por Vírus Respiratório Sincicial/virologia , Infecções por Vírus Respiratório Sincicial/diagnóstico , Sequenciamento Completo do Genoma/métodos , Sequenciamento de Nucleotídeos em Larga Escala/métodos , Biologia Computacional/métodos , MutaçãoRESUMO
We evaluated Ibalizumab (IBA)-containing standardized optimized salvage regimen (with or without a 4-week foscarnet induction) in individuals harboring multidrug-resistant human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2). Nine were included; 2 achieved virological suppression after foscarnet induction with a sustained suppression at Week 24 after IBA initiation, and an additional individual at Week 24 after Ibalizumab initiation.
Assuntos
Fármacos Anti-HIV , Anticorpos Monoclonais , Infecções por HIV , Humanos , Foscarnet/uso terapêutico , HIV-2 , Fármacos Anti-HIV/uso terapêutico , Terapia de Salvação , Infecções por HIV/tratamento farmacológicoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: A severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection lasts longer in immunocompromised hosts than in immunocompetent patients. Prolonged infection is associated with a higher probability of selection for novel SARS-CoV-2 mutations, particularly in the spike protein, a critical target for vaccines and therapeutics. METHODS: From December 2020 to September 2022, respiratory samples from 444 immunocompromised patients and 234 health care workers positive for SARS-CoV-2, diagnosed at 2 hospitals in Paris, France, were analyzed using whole-genome sequencing using Nanopore technology. Custom scripts were developed to assess the SARS-CoV-2 genetic diversity between the 2 groups and within the host. RESULTS: Most infections were SARS-CoV-2 Delta or Omicron lineages. Viral genetic diversity was significantly higher in infections of immunocompromised patients than those of controls. Minor mutations were identified in viruses sequenced from immunocompromised individuals, which became signature mutations for newer SARS-CoV-2 variants as the epidemic progressed. Two patients were coinfected with Delta and Omicron variants. The follow-up of immunocompromised patients revealed that the SARS-CoV-2 genome evolution differed in the upper and lower respiratory tracts. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that SARS-CoV-2 infection in immunocompromised patients is associated with higher genetic diversity, which could lead to the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants with possible immune evasion or different virulence characteristics.
Assuntos
COVID-19 , SARS-CoV-2 , Humanos , Estudos de Casos e Controles , Estudos Retrospectivos , SARS-CoV-2/genética , Hospedeiro Imunocomprometido , MutaçãoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is widely known as a frequent cause of respiratory distress among adults, particularly in older people. Recent years have witnessed several improvements in respiratory virus detection, leading to more questions about therapeutic management strategies. OBJECTIVES: This narrative review focuses on the RSV burden in older people and adults with risk factors and provides an update on the main recent developments regarding managing this infection. SOURCES: A comprehensive PubMed search was conducted till August 2023 to identify studies on RSV among the adult population. We included observational studies, RCTs on vaccines, and different therapies. CONTENT: This review should give clinicians an overview of RSV epidemiology and burden among older people and adults with pre-existing risk factors, the most recent randomized clinical trials on RSV vaccines, and the existing data on the different therapeutics existing and under development. IMPLICATIONS: There is a growing body of evidence on RSV burden in adults. The landscape of preventive and curative treatments is quickly evolving.
Assuntos
Infecções por Vírus Respiratório Sincicial , Vacinas contra Vírus Sincicial Respiratório , Vírus Sincicial Respiratório Humano , Adulto , Humanos , Idoso , Infecções por Vírus Respiratório Sincicial/epidemiologia , Infecções por Vírus Respiratório Sincicial/prevenção & controle , Vacinas contra Vírus Sincicial Respiratório/efeitos adversos , Fatores de RiscoRESUMO
In May 2022, several countries reported mpox cases from patients without history of traveling to endemic areas. France was one of the most affected European countries by this outbreak. In this study, the clinical characteristics of mpox cases in France were described, and the genetic diversity of the virus was studied. Patients diagnosed with mpox infection (quantitative polymerase chain reaction ct < 28) between May 21, and July 4, 2022 and between 16th August and 10th September 2022 were included to this study. Twelve amplicons corresponding to the most polymorphic regions of the mpox genome and covering ~30 000 nucleotides were generated and sequenced using the S5 XL Ion Torrent technology to evaluate the genetic diversity of mpox sequences. One hundred and forty-eight patients were diagnosed with mpox-infection. 95% were men, 5% transgender (M-to-F), 50% were taking human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pre-exposure prophylaxis, and 25% were HIV seropositive. One hundred and sixty-two samples (some patients had two samples) were sequenced and compared to GenBank sequences. Overall, low genetic diversity of mpox sequences was found compared with pre-epidemic Western-African sequences, with 32 distinct mutational patterns. This study provides a first glance at the mutational landscape of early mpox 2022 circulating strains in Paris (France).
Assuntos
Infecções por HIV , Mpox , Masculino , Humanos , Feminino , Paris/epidemiologia , Monkeypox virus , França/epidemiologia , Genômica , Surtos de DoençasRESUMO
Women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), especially when exposed to immunosuppressive drugs, are at higher risk of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cervical cancer.1 A recent study has shown that cervical cancer screening (CCS) coverage is worryingly low in this population.2.
RESUMO
Although France was one of the most affected European countries by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the dynamics of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) movement within France, but also involving France in Europe and in the world, remain only partially characterized in this timeframe. Here, we analyzed GISAID deposited sequences from January 1 to December 31, 2020 (n = 638,706 sequences at the time of writing). To tackle the challenging number of sequences without the bias of analyzing a single subsample of sequences, we produced 100 subsamples of sequences and related phylogenetic trees from the whole dataset for different geographic scales (worldwide, European countries, and French administrative regions) and time periods (from January 1 to July 25, 2020, and from July 26 to December 31, 2020). We applied a maximum likelihood discrete trait phylogeographic method to date exchange events (i.e., a transition from one location to another one), to estimate the geographic spread of SARS-CoV-2 transmissions and lineages into, from and within France, Europe, and the world. The results unraveled two different patterns of exchange events between the first and second half of 2020. Throughout the year, Europe was systematically associated with most of the intercontinental exchanges. SARS-CoV-2 was mainly introduced into France from North America and Europe (mostly by Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, and Germany) during the first European epidemic wave. During the second wave, exchange events were limited to neighboring countries without strong intercontinental movement, but Russia widely exported the virus into Europe during the summer of 2020. France mostly exported B.1 and B.1.160 lineages, respectively, during the first and second European epidemic waves. At the level of French administrative regions, the Paris area was the main exporter during the first wave. But, for the second epidemic wave, it equally contributed to virus spread with Lyon area, the second most populated urban area after Paris in France. The main circulating lineages were similarly distributed among the French regions. To conclude, by enabling the inclusion of tens of thousands of viral sequences, this original phylodynamic method enabled us to robustly describe SARS-CoV-2 geographic spread through France, Europe, and worldwide in 2020.
Assuntos
COVID-19 , SARS-CoV-2 , Humanos , SARS-CoV-2/genética , COVID-19/epidemiologia , Filogenia , Pandemias , Europa (Continente)/epidemiologia , França/epidemiologiaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: There is almost no data on the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 among street adolescents. We conducted a study to document the immunization status of street adolescents in Togo against different variants of SARS-CoV-2. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out in 2021 in Lomé, the city with the highest number of COVID 19 cases in Togo (60%). Adolescents aged 13- and 19 years old living on the street were eligible for inclusion. A standardized questionnaire was administered face-to-face to adolescents. A sample of blood was taken and aliquots of plasma were transported to the virology laboratory of the Hôpital Bichat-Claude Bernard (Paris, France). SARS-CoV-2 anti-S and anti-N IgG were measured using chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay. A quantitative miniaturized and parallel-arranged ELISA assay was used to detect IgG antibodies specifically directed against the different SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern (VOC). RESULTS: A total of 299 street adolescents (5.2% female), median age 15 years, interquartile range (14-17 years), were included in this study. The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was 63.5% (95%CI: 57.8-69.0). Specific-IgG against the ancestral Wuhan strain was developed by 92.0% of subjects. The proportion of patients being immunized against each VOC was 86.8%, 51.1%, 56.3%, 60.0, and 30.5% for the Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron VOCs, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study showed a very high prevalence with approximately 2/3 of Togolese street adolescents having antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 due to a previous infection. These results confirm an under-reporting of COVID-19 cases in Togo, questioning the hypothesis of low virus circulation in Togo and even in Africa.
Assuntos
COVID-19 , SARS-CoV-2 , Humanos , Adolescente , Feminino , Adulto Jovem , Adulto , Masculino , Togo/epidemiologia , COVID-19/epidemiologia , Estudos Transversais , Estudos Soroepidemiológicos , Imunoglobulina G , Anticorpos AntiviraisRESUMO
OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to confirm the co-infection with HIV-1 and HIV-2, among West African patients using in-house HIV type/group enzyme-immuno assays and molecular diagnosis. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from April 2016 to October 2017 in the biggest HIV clinics of Côte d'Ivoire and Burkina Faso. METHOD: A first serological confirmation was done in the referral laboratory using an in-house, indirect immuno-enzymatic essay allowing the qualitative detection of both HIV-1 and HIV-2 antibodies. In order to separately detect anti-HIV-1 and anti-HIV-2 antibodies, a type/group specific enzyme-immuno assay (HIV-GSEIA) was used. To confirm the co-infections, HIV-1 and HIV-2 DNA-qualitative PCR assays were performed. RESULTS: A total of 91 patients were enrolled in the study and provided blood sample for HIV type confirmatory testing including 13 (14.3%) HIV-2 mono-reactive and 78 (85.7%) HIV-1/HIV-2 dually-reactive based on the HIV testing National Algorithms. The first serological ELISA confirmatory test performed showed that 80 (78.9%) of the 91 participants were dually-reactive. The HIV-GSEIA performed on these 80 serum samples retrieve one 61 HIV-1/HIV-2 dually-reactive samples. HIV-1 and HIV-2 DNA PCR were performed on 54 of the 61 HIV-1/HIV-2 dually-reactive samples and 46 out of 61 (75.4%) samples were found HIV-1/HIV-2 coinfected. CONCLUSION: The contribution of type/group specific enzyme-immuno assay to accurately identify HIV-1/HIV-2 coinfections remain suboptimal, emphasizing the need for molecular diagnosis platforms in West Africa, to avail HIV DNA PCR test for the confirmation of HIV-1/HIV-2 co-infections.
Assuntos
Coinfecção , Infecções por HIV , Soropositividade para HIV , HIV-1 , Humanos , Estudos Transversais , Coinfecção/diagnóstico , Infecções por HIV/complicações , Infecções por HIV/diagnóstico , HIV-1/genética , Anticorpos Anti-HIV , Côte d'Ivoire/epidemiologia , HIV-2/genéticaRESUMO
SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant was first detected in France mid-November 2021 in wastewater treatment plants while cases started to increase at the beginning of December. The maximum incidence occurred in mid-January 2022. The Omicron wave spread rapidly throughout France in general population with lower case-fatality rate compared with previous waves. Little is known about infection with Omicron variant in heart transplant (HT) recipients. In this study, we examined incidence and mortality rate of COVID-19 in the general population and among 1,263 HT recipients during the period from June, 2021 to February, 2022, described characteristics of HT recipients infected with SARS-CoV-2 during Omicron (December 1st, 2021-February 7, 2022) and Delta (June 1st- November 30, 2021) periods, and compared hospital course of HT recipients with Omicron and Delta variant infection. Our findings contrast with the reported lower severity for Omicron variant infection compared with Delta variant infection in immunocompetent individuals.
Assuntos
COVID-19 , Transplante de Coração , Humanos , SARS-CoV-2 , França/epidemiologiaAssuntos
Fármacos Anti-HIV , Infecções por HIV , Profilaxia Pré-Exposição , Minorias Sexuais e de Gênero , Masculino , Humanos , Homossexualidade Masculina , Infecções por HIV/complicações , Infecções por HIV/epidemiologia , Infecções por HIV/tratamento farmacológico , Monkeypox virus , Comportamento Sexual , Fármacos Anti-HIV/uso terapêuticoRESUMO
Highly active antiretroviral (ARV) therapy has been used for many years, but the use in low- and middle-income countries of antiretroviral drugs with low genetic barrier to resistance, combined with limited availability of viral load testing, has led to higher rates of acquired drug resistance, sustaining the rate of transmitted drug resistance. Here, we describe the evolution of ARV drugs with the ongoing development of injectable long-acting forms and the requirements regarding all new ARV drugs (i.e., no transmitted drug resistance, no cross-resistance and high genetic barrier to resistance). Then, we report the evolution of both transmitted and acquired resistance regarding new ARV drugs. The WHO has set very ambitious but motivating goals for HIV testing, treatment and viral suppression, aiming to achieve rates of 95% for all three by 2025. Reaching these goals requires a wide implementation and use of close virological monitoring in LMICs.
Assuntos
Soropositividade para HIV , HIV-1 , Humanos , HIV-1/genética , Antirretrovirais/farmacologia , Antirretrovirais/uso terapêutico , Terapia Antirretroviral de Alta Atividade , Países em DesenvolvimentoRESUMO
OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the high diagnostic accuracy of the nasopharyngeal swab (including in intensive care unit (ICU) patients). This study aimed to compare nasopharyngeal swab and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) results for non-SARS-CoV-2 viruses in patients with suspected pneumonia. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed in one French academic hospital on consecutive adults from 2012 to 2018 and tested nasopharyngeal swab and BAL within 24 hours by using multiplex PCR. The agreement in pathogen detection between nasopharyngeal swab and BAL was evaluated. RESULTS: Patients were primarily men (n = 178/276, 64.5%), with a median age of 60 years (IQR: 51-68 years). Of the 276 patients, 169 (61%) were admitted to the ICU for acute respiratory distress. We detected at least one respiratory virus in 34.4% of the nasopharyngeal swabs (n = 95/276) and 29.0% of BAL (n = 80/276). Two or more viruses were detected in 2.5% of the nasopharyngeal swabs (n = 7/276) and 2.2% of BAL (n = 6/276). Rhinovirus/enteroviruses were the most frequently detected viral group in 10.2% (n = 29/285) of the nasopharyngeal swabs and 9.5% (n = 27/285) of BAL, followed by influenza A, detected in 5.6% (n = 16/285) of the nasopharyngeal swabs and 4.9% (n = 14/285) of BAL. Overall agreement was 83.7% (n = 231/276 (95% CI [78.7%, 87.7%])) (i.e. same pathogen or pathogen combination was identified in the nasopharyngeal swab and BAL for 231 patients). Rhinovirus/enterovirus (n = 29/231) and respiratory syncytial virus (n = 13/231) had the lowest agreement of 62.1% (n = 18/29 (95% CI [42.4%-78.7%])) and 61.5% (n = 8/13 (95% CI [32.3%-84.9%])), respectively). CONCLUSIONS: There was a good agreement between nasopharyngeal swabs and BAL in detecting respiratory viruses among adult patients with suspected pneumonia. However, these data still encourage BAL in the case of a negative nasopharyngeal swab.
Assuntos
COVID-19 , Vírus , Masculino , Humanos , Adulto , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Idoso , Estudos Retrospectivos , Pandemias , Lavagem Broncoalveolar , NasofaringeRESUMO
BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization (WHO) reported an outbreak of monkeypox virus (MPXV) in Western countries on May 12th, 2022. In early October, WHO counted 68 900 cases in the world outside Africa. MPXV spreads all around the environment of infected patients through direct contact with lesions, body secretion, or liquids. Interrogations about MPXV spreading through respiratory secretions have been reported but appear bewildering. Thus, we investigated for virus identification in the air around infected patients to move forward with unresolved questions. METHODS: We collected air samples using the AerosolSense™ device in a dedicated room where monkeypox suspected patients were examined in our quaternary hospital's outpatient infectious disease clinic. Samples were analyzed with a MPXV PCR to determine the presence of viral DNA in the air. RESULTS: The study took place from July 26th to August 5th, 2022. We obtained seven four-hours-bioaerosol samples during the study period. Over the seven sessions sampled, six air samples were positive with a median Ct value of 36 (min-max: 32.0 - 38.0). Forty patients were present during the investigation; 17 (43%) were diagnosed monkeypox positive; 13 clinically and four virologically with a median Ct of 21 (min-max: 18.0 - 35.0). During the session, where no patients were diagnosed with monkeypox, air collection was also MPXV negative. CONCLUSION: This investigation reports the presence of MPXV DNA in air samples collected in a room dedicated to monkeypox-infected patients' examination and testing. Thus, we highlight the importance of personal protective equipment worn by consulting patients and healthcare workers and surface decontamination to avoid infection transmission.
Assuntos
Mpox , Humanos , Mpox/diagnóstico , Mpox/epidemiologia , Monkeypox virus/genética , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase , Técnicas de Amplificação de Ácido Nucleico , DNA Viral/genéticaRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the specific response of SLE patients to BNT162b2 vaccination and its impact on autoimmunity defined as in vivo production of interferon-alpha (IFNα) by plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) and autoreactive immune responses. METHODS: Our prospective study included SLE patients and healthy volunteers (HV) who received 2 doses of BNT162b2 vaccine 4 weeks apart. Subjects under immunosuppressive drugs or with evidence of prior COVID-19 were excluded. IgG anti-Spike SARS-CoV-2 (anti-S) antibodies, anti-S specific-B cells, anti-S specific T cells, in vivo INF-α production by pDCs, activation marker expression by pDCs and autoreactive anti-nuclear T cells were quantified before first injection, before second injection, and 3 and 6 months after first injection. RESULTS: Vaccinated SLE patients produced significantly lower IgG antibodies and specific B cells against SARS-CoV-2 as compared to HV. In contrast, anti-S T cell response did not significantly differ between SLE patients and HV. Following vaccination, the surface expression of HLA-DR and CD86 and the in vivo production of IFNα by pDCs significantly increased in SLE patients. The boosted expression of HLA-DR on pDCs induced by BNT162b2 vaccine correlated with the overall immune responses against SARS-CoV-2 (anti-S antibodies: r = 0.27 [0.05-0.46], p = 0.02; anti-S B cells: r = 0.19 [-0.03-0.39], p = 0.09); anti-S T cells: r = 0.28 [0.05-0.47], p = 0.016). Eventually, anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccination was associated with an overall decrease of autoreactive T cells (slope = - 0.00067, p = 0.015). CONCLUSION: BNT162b2 vaccine induces a transient in vivo activation of pDCs in SLE that contributes to the immune responses against SARS-CoV-2. Unexpectedly BNT162b2 vaccine also dampens the pool of circulating autoreactive T cells, suggesting that vaccination may have a beneficial impact on SLE disease.