Early humoral and cellular responses after bivalent SARS-CoV-2 mRNA-1273.214 vaccination in long-term care and retirement home residents in Ontario, Canada: An observational cohort study.

Immunogenicity of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) bivalent mRNA-1273.214 vaccine (Original/Omicron B.1.1.529 [BA.1]) is underreported in vulnerable older adults in congregate care settings. In residents of 26 long-term care and retirement homes in Ontario, Canada, humoral (i.e., serum anti-spike and anti-receptor binding domain [anti-RBD]) IgG and IgA antibodies and live SARS-CoV-2 neutralization) and cellular (i.e., CD4+ and CD8+ activation-induced marker spike-specific T cell memory) responses were assessed 7-120 days postvaccination with four monovalent mRNA vaccines (n = 494) or subsequent bivalent mRNA-1273.214 vaccination (fifth vaccine) (n = 557). Within 4 months, anti-spike and anti-RBD antibody levels were similar after monovalent and bivalent vaccination in infection-naïve individuals. Hybrid immunity (i.e., vaccination and natural infection) generally increased humoral responses. After bivalent vaccination, compared to monovalent vaccination, residents with hybrid immunity had elevated anti-spike and anti-RBD IgG and IgA antibodies. Omicron BA.1 antibody-mediated neutralization, and CD8+ T cell memory responses to the Omicron BA.1 spike protein, were also higher after bivalent vaccination. Humoral and cellular responses were, therefore, noninferior within 4 months of bivalent mRNA-1273.214 vaccination compared to monovalent mRNA vaccination. Waning of humoral but not cellular immunity was particularly evident in individuals without hybrid immunity. Continued monitoring of vaccine-associated and hybrid immunity against emerging Omicron variants of concern is necessary to assess longevity of protection.

T cell-mediated autoimmunity in immune thrombocytopenia.

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by a low platelet count and an increased risk of bleeding. In addition to anti-platelet autoantibodies, CD8+ T cells have been implicated as a mechanism of platelet destruction. The current evidence for the existence of platelet-specific CD8+ T cells in ITP is inconclusive. The purpose of this review is to summarize the studies that investigated CD8+ T cells in ITP and to review the methods that have been used to detect autoreactive CD8+ T cells in other autoimmune diseases.

Autoantibodies to thrombopoietin and the thrombopoietin receptor in patients with immune thrombocytopenia.

Autoantibodies to thrombopoietin (TPO, also termed THPO) or the TPO receptor (cMpl, also termed MPL) could play a pathological role in immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). In this study, we tested for autoantibodies against TPO, cMpl, or the TPO/cMpl complex in ITP and other thrombocytopenic disorders. Using an inhibition step with excess TPO in fluid-phase to improve binding specificity, the prevalence of anti-TPO autoantibodies was: active ITP: 9/32 (28%); remission ITP: 0/14 (0%); non-immune thrombocytopenias: 1/10 (10%); and healthy controls: 1/11 (9%). Similarly, using an inhibition step with excess cMpl, the prevalence of specific anti-cMpl autoantibodies was: active ITP: 7/32 (22%); remission ITP: 1/14 (7%); non-immune thrombocytopenias: 3/10 (30%); and healthy controls: 0/11 (0%). Two active ITP patients had autoantibodies against the TPO/cMpl complex, but not against TPO or cMpl alone. Anti-TPO or anti-cMpl autoantibodies were found in 44% of ITP patients, and in 40% of patients with other thrombocytopenic disorders. These autoantibodies did not correlate with ITP disease severity or number of ITP treatments received; however, in this cohort, 3 patients failed to respond to TPO receptor agonist medications, and of those, 2 had anti-TPO autoantibodies. This suggests that anti-TPO and anti-cMpl autoantibodies are associated with thrombocytopenia, and may be clinically relevant in a subset of ITP patients.

Producing megakaryocytes from a human peripheral blood source.

BACKGROUND: Cultured megakaryocytes could prove useful in the study of human diseases, but it is difficult to produce sufficient numbers for study. We describe and evaluate the use of an expansion process to develop mature megakaryocytes from peripheral blood-derived human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: HSPCs (CD34+) were isolated from peripheral blood by positive selection and expanded using an optimal CD34+ expansion supplement. We evaluated megakaryocyte growth, maturation, and morphology in response to thrombopoietin (TPO) stimulation using flow cytometry and electron microscopy. TPO demonstrated a dose-dependent stimulatory effect on both megakaryocyte number and maturation. RESULTS: From 90 to 120 mL of unmanipulated peripheral blood, we isolated a mean of 1.5 × 10(5) HSPCs (1.5 × 10(3) cells/mL of whole blood). HSPCs expanded nine-fold after a 4-day culture using an expansion supplement. Expanded cells were cultured for an additional 8 days with TPO (20 ng/mL), which resulted in a 2.9-fold increase in megakaryocytic cells where 83% of live cells expressed CD41a+, a marker of megakaryocyte commitment, and 50% expressed CD42b+, a marker for megakaryocyte maturation. The expanded HSPCs responded to TPO stimulation to yield more than 1.0 × 10(6) megakaryocytes. This cell number was sufficient for morphologic studies that demonstrated these expanded HSPCs produced mature polyploid megakaryocytes capable of forming proplatelet extensions. CONCLUSIONS: Peripheral blood HSPCs can be expanded and differentiated into functional, mature megakaryocytes, a finding that supports the use of this process to study inherent platelet (PLT) production disorders as well as study factors that impair normal PLT production.

Molecular architecture and platelet-activating properties of small immune complexes assembled on heparin and platelet factor 4.

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is an adverse reaction to heparin leading to a reduction in circulating platelets with an increased risk of thrombosis. It is precipitated by polymerized immune complexes consisting of pathogenic antibodies that recognize a small chemokine platelet factor 4 (PF4) bound to heparin. Characterization of these immune complexes is extremely challenging due to the enormous structural heterogeneity of such macromolecular assemblies and their constituents. Native mass spectrometry demonstrates that up to three PF4 tetramers can be assembled on a heparin chain, consistent with the molecular modeling studies showing facile polyanion wrapping along the polycationic belt on the PF4 surface. Although these assemblies can accommodate a maximum of only two antibodies, the resulting immune complexes are capable of platelet activation despite their modest size. Taken together, these studies provide further insight into molecular mechanisms of HIT and other immune disorders where anti-PF4 antibodies play a central role.

Reassuring humoral and cellular immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in participants with systemic sclerosis.

Individuals with systemic sclerosis (SSc) are particularly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infections, yet it remains to be determined if they generate humoral and cellular responses comparable to controls following SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations. Herein, we collected blood and serum after second, third, and fourth SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations in patients with SSc and controls. Following each dose, participants with SSc mounted comparable serum anti-RBD IgG, anti-RBD IgA, and spike-specific CD4+ and CD8+T cell responses to those found in controls. At 3 months post dose 2, the frequencies of Th1, Th2, Th17, and Treg spike-specific CD4+T cells in participants with SSc did not differ from controls. At 2-6 weeks post dose 3, participants with SSc displayed reduced frequencies, but not numbers, of Th17-polarized spike-specific CD4+T cells. Thus, participants with SSc did not display significantly weaker humoral or cellular responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination than controls, enabling reassurance of vaccine immunogenicity in participants with SSc.

The use of 1E12, a monoclonal anti-platelet factor 4 antibody, to improve the diagnosis of vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia.

BACKGROUND: Vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) is a complication of adenoviral-based vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 due to prothrombotic immunoglobulin (Ig) G antibodies to platelet factor 4 (PF4) and may be difficult to distinguish from heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) in patients treated with heparin. OBJECTIVES: We assessed the usefulness of competitive anti-PF4 enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) in this context. METHODS: The ability of F(ab')2 fragments of 1E12, 1C12, and 2E1, 3 monoclonal anti-PF4 antibodies, to inhibit the binding of human VITT or HIT antibodies to PF4 was evaluated using EIAs. Alanine-scanning mutagenesis was performed to define the amino acids involved in the interactions between the monoclonal antibodies and PF4. RESULTS: A strong inhibition of VITT IgG binding to PF4 was measured with 1E12 (median inhibition, 93%; n = 8), whereas it had no effect on the binding of HIT antibodies (median, 6%; n = 8). In contrast, 1C12 and 2E1 inhibited VITT (median, 74% and 76%, respectively) and HIT antibodies (median, 68% and 53%, respectively) binding to PF4. When a competitive anti-PF4 EIA was performed with 1E12 for 19 additional VITT samples, it strongly inhibited IgG binding to PF4, except for 1 patient, who had actually developed HIT according to the clinical history. Epitope mapping showed that 1E12 interacts with 5 key amino acids on PF4, of which 4 are also required for the binding of human VITT antibodies, thus explaining the competitive inhibition. CONCLUSION: A simple competitive anti-PF4 EIA with 1E12 could help confirm VITT diagnosis and distinguish it from HIT in patients when both diagnoses are possible.

Molecular architecture and platelet-activating properties of small immune complexes assembled on intact heparin and their possible involvement in heparin-induced thrombocytopenia.

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is an adverse reaction to heparin leading to a reduction in circulating platelets with an increased risk of thrombosis. It is precipitated by polymerized immune complexes consisting of pathogenic antibodies that recognize a small chemokine platelet factor 4 (PF4) bound to heparin, which trigger platelet activation and a hypercoagulable state. Characterization of these immune complexes is extremely challenging due to the enormous structural heterogeneity of such macromolecular assemblies and their constituents (especially heparin). We use native mass spectrometry to characterize small immune complexes formed by PF4, heparin and monoclonal HIT-specific antibodies. Up to three PF4 tetramers can be assembled on a heparin chain, consistent with the results of molecular modeling studies showing facile polyanion wrapping along the polycationic belt on the PF4 surface. Although these assemblies can accommodate a maximum of only two antibodies, the resulting immune complexes are capable of platelet activation despite their modest size. Taken together, these studies provide further insight into molecular mechanisms of HIT and other immune disorders where anti-PF4 antibodies play a central role.

Antibodies against platelet factor 4 and the risk of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis in patients with vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia.

BACKGROUND: Vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) is a rare complication of adenoviral vector-based vaccines against SARS-CoV-2. This syndrome is caused by antibodies against platelet factor 4 (PF4; CXCL4) that lead to platelet activation and is characterized by thrombocytopenia and thrombosis in unusual locations, including cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST). VITT can be classified based on anti-PF4 antibodies properties in vitro: those that require PF4 to activate platelets (PF4-dependent) and those that can activate platelets without additional PF4 (PF4-independent) in the serotonin release assay. OBJECTIVES: We aim to characterize the relationship of VITT platelet-activating profiles with CVST. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study involving patients with confirmed VITT who were tested between March and June 2021. Data were collected with an anonymized form and cases were identified as VITT with high clinical suspicion according to platelet activation assays. Anti-PF4 antibody binding regions on PF4 were further characterized with alanine scanning mutagenesis. RESULTS: Of the patients with confirmed VITT (n = 39), 17 (43.6%) had PF4-dependent antibodies and 22 (56.4%) had PF4-independent antibodies. CVST occurred almost exclusively in PF4-independent patients (11 of 22 vs 1 of 17; P < .05). Additionally, PF4-independent antibodies bound to 2 distinct epitopes on PF4, the heparin-binding region and a site typical for heparin-induced thrombocytopenia antibodies, whereas PF4-dependent antibodies bound to only the heparin-binding region. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that VITT antibodies that cause PF4-independent platelet activation represent a unique subset of patients more likely to be associated with CVST, possibly due to the 2 different types of anti-PF4 antibodies.

Early Omicron infection is associated with increased reinfection risk in older adults in long-term care and retirement facilities.

Background: Older adults are at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infection and severe disease, especially those in congregate living settings, despite high SARS-CoV-2 vaccine coverage. It is unclear whether hybrid immunity (combined vaccination and infection) after one Omicron infection provides increased protection against subsequent Omicron reinfection in older adults. Methods: Incidence of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infection was examined in 750 vaccinated residents of long-term care and retirement homes in the observational cohort COVID in Long-Term Care Study in Ontario, Canada, within a 75-day period (July to September 2022). Risk of infection was assessed by Cox proportional hazards regression. Serum anti-spike and anti-RBD SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgA antibodies, microneutralization titres, and spike-specific T cell memory responses, were examined in a subset of 318 residents within the preceding three months. Findings: 133 of 750 participants (17.7%) had a PCR-confirmed Omicron infection during the observation period. Increased infection risk was associated with prior Omicron infection (at 9-29 days: 47.67 [23.73-95.76]), and this was not attributed to days since fourth vaccination (1.00 [1.00-1.01]) or residence outbreaks (>6 compared to ≤6: 0.95 [0.37-2.41]). Instead, reinfected participants had lower serum neutralizing antibodies to ancestral and Omicron BA.1 SARS-CoV-2, and lower anti-RBD IgG and IgA antibodies, after their initial Omicron infection. Interpretation: Counterintuitively, SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infection was associated with increased risk of Omicron reinfection in residents of long-term care and retirement homes. Less robust humoral hybrid immune responses in older adults may contribute to risk of Omicron reinfection. Funding: COVID-19 Immunity Task Force of the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Comparison of three dosing intervals for the primary vaccination of the SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccine (BNT162b2) on magnitude, neutralization capacity and durability of the humoral immune response in health care workers: A prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: The dosing interval of a primary vaccination series can significantly impact on vaccine immunogenicity and efficacy. The current study compared 3 dosing intervals for the primary vaccination series of the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, on humoral immune response and durability against SARS-CoV-2 ancestral and Beta variants up to 9 months post immunization. METHODS: Three groups of age- and sex-matched healthcare workers (HCW) who received 2 primary doses of BNT162b2 separated by 35-days, 35-42 days or >42-days were enrolled. Vaccine induced antibody titers at 3 weeks, 3 and 6-9 months post-second dose were assessed. RESULTS: There were 309 age- and sex-matched HCW (mean age 43 [sd 13], 58% females) enrolled. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 binding (IgG, IgM, IgA) and neutralizing antibody titers showed significant waning in levels beyond 35 days post first dose. The second dose induced a significant rise in antibody titers, which peaked at 3 weeks and then declined at variable rates across groups. The magnitude, consistency and durability of response was greater for anti-Spike than anti-RBD antibodies; and for IgG than IgA or IgM. Compared to the shorter schedules, a longer interval of >42 days offered the highest binding and neutralizing antibody titers against SARS-CoV-2 ancestral and Beta (B1.351) variants beyond 3 months post-vaccination. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first comprehensive study to compare 3 dosing intervals for the primary vaccination of BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine implemented in the real world. These findings suggest that delaying the second dose beyond 42 days can potentiate and prolong the humoral response against ancestral and Beta variants of SARS-CoV-2 up to 9 months post-vaccination.

The clinical and laboratory diagnosis of vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia.

Vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) is a rare but serious adverse syndrome occurring 5 to 30 days after adenoviral vector COVID-19 vaccination. Therefore, a practical evaluation of clinical assessments and laboratory testing for VITT is needed to prevent significant adverse outcomes as the global use of adenoviral vector vaccines continues. We received the clinical information and blood samples of 156 patients in Canada with a suspected diagnosis of VITT between April and July 2021. The performance characteristics of various diagnostic laboratory tests were evaluated against the platelet factor 4 (PF4)-14C-serotonin release assay (SRA) including a commercial anti-PF4/heparin immunoglobulin G (IgG)/IgA/IgM enzyme immunoassay (EIA, PF4 Enhanced; Immucor), in-house IgG-specific anti-PF4 and anti-PF4/heparin-EIAs, the standard SRA, and the PF4/heparin-SRA. Of those, 43 (27.6%) had serologically confirmed VITT-positive based on a positive PF4-SRA result and 113 (72.4%) were VITT-negative. The commercial anti-PF4/heparin EIA, the in-house anti-PF4-EIA, and anti-PF4/heparin-EIA were positive for all 43 VITT-confirmed samples (100% sensitivity) with a few false-positive results (mean specificity, 95.6%). These immunoassays had specificities of 95.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 90.0-98.6), 96.5% (95% CI, 91.2-99.0), and 97.4% (95% CI, 92.4-99.5), respectively. Functional tests, including the standard SRA and PF4/heparin-SRA, had high specificities (100%), but poor sensitivities for VITT (16.7% [95% CI, 7.0-31.4]; and 46.2% [95% CI, 26.6-66.6], respectively). These findings suggest EIA assays that can directly detect antibodies to PF4 or PF4/heparin have excellent performance characteristics and may be useful as a diagnostic test if the F4-SRA is unavailable.

Characteristics of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Recovered COVID-19 Subjects.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global pandemic caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). While detection of SARS-CoV-2 by polymerase chain reaction with reverse transcription (RT-PCR) is currently used to diagnose acute COVID-19 infection, serological assays are needed to study the humoral immune response to SARS-CoV-2. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin (Ig)G/A/M antibodies against spike (S) protein and its receptor-binding domain (RBD) were characterized in recovered subjects who were RT-PCR-positive (n = 153) and RT-PCR-negative (n = 55) using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). These antibodies were also further assessed for their ability to neutralize live SARS-CoV-2 virus. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were detected in 90.9% of resolved subjects up to 180 days post-symptom onset. Anti-S protein and anti-RBD IgG titers correlated (r = 0.5157 and r = 0.6010, respectively) with viral neutralization. Of the RT-PCR-positive subjects, 22 (14.3%) did not have anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies; and of those, 17 had RT-PCR cycle threshold (Ct) values > 27. These high Ct values raise the possibility that these indeterminate results are from individuals who were not infected or had mild infection that failed to elicit an antibody response. This study highlights the importance of serological surveys to determine population-level immunity based on infection numbers as determined by RT-PCR.

Characterization of platelet factor 4 amino acids that bind pathogenic antibodies in heparin-induced thrombocytopenia.

Essentials Many patients produce antibodies but few lead to heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). Pathogenic epitopes are difficult to identify as HIT antibodies are polyclonal and polyspecific. KKO binding to platelet factor 4 (PF4) depends on 13 amino acids, three of which are newly observed. Five amino acids in PF4 can help distinguish pathogenic from non-pathogenic antibodies. SUMMARY: Background Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is an adverse drug reaction that results in thrombocytopenia and, in some patients, thrombotic complications. HIT is mediated by antibodies that bind to complexes of platelet factor 4 (PF4) and heparin. The antigenic epitopes of these anti-PF4/heparin antibodies have not yet been precisely defined, because of the polyspecific immune response that characterizes HIT. Objectives To identify PF4 amino acids essential for binding pathogenic HIT antibodies. Methods Alanine scanning mutagenesis was utilized to produce 70 single point mutations of PF4. Each PF4 mutant was used in an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) to test their capacity to bind a platelet-activating murine monoclonal anti-PF4/heparin antibody (KKO) and HIT patient sera (n = 9). Results and Conclusions We identified 13 amino acids that were essential for binding KKO because they directly affected either the binding site or the antigenic conformation of PF4. We also identified 10 amino acids that were required for the binding of HIT patient sera and five of these amino acids were required for binding both KKO and the HIT patient sera. The 10 amino acids required for binding HIT sera were further tested to differentiate pathogenic HIT antibodies (platelet activating, n = 45) and non-pathogenic antibodies (EIA-positive but not platelet activating, n = 28). We identified five mutations of PF4 that were recognized to be essential for binding pathogenic HIT antibodies. Using alanine scanning mutagenesis, we characterized possible binding sites of pathogenic HIT antibodies on PF4.

Misdiagnosis of primary immune thrombocytopenia and frequency of bleeding: lessons from the McMaster ITP Registry.

Nonspecific diagnostic criteria and uncertain estimates of severe bleeding events are fundamental gaps in knowledge of primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). To address these issues, we created the McMaster ITP Registry. In this report, we describe the methodology of the registry, the process for arriving at the diagnosis, and the frequency of bleeding. Consecutive patients with platelets <150 × 109/L from a tertiary hematology clinic in Canada were eligible. Patients completed a panel of investigations and were managed per clinical need. Two hematologists initially determined the cause of the thrombocytopenia using standard criteria and reevaluated the diagnosis over time, which was adjudicated at regular team meetings. Bleeding was graded from 0 (none) to 2 (severe) prospectively using an ITP-specific tool. Data were validated by duplicate chart review and source verification. Between 2010 and 2016, 614 patients were enrolled. Median follow-up for patients with >1 visit was 1.7 years (interquartile range, 0.8-3.4). At registration, 295 patients were initially diagnosed with primary ITP; of those, 36 (12.2%) were reclassified as having a different diagnosis during follow-up. At registration, 319 patients were initially diagnosed with another thrombocytopenic condition; of those, 10 (3.1%) were ultimately reclassified as having primary ITP. Of 269 patients with a final diagnosis of primary ITP, 56.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 50.4-62.5] experienced grade 2 bleeding at 1 or more anatomical site, and 2.2% (95% CI, 0.8-4.8) had intracranial hemorrhage. Nearly 1 in 7 patients with primary ITP were misdiagnosed. Grade 2 bleeding was common. Registry data can help improve the clinical and laboratory classification of patients with ITP.