The inactivated herpes zoster vaccine HZ/su induces a varicella zoster virus specific cellular and humoral immune response in patients on dialysis.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the immunogenicity of the inactivated herpes-zoster vaccine HZ/su in patients at increased risk for VZV-reactivation, we analysed the quantity and quality of the vaccine-induced cellular and humoral immunity in patients on dialysis with uremic immunodeficiency. METHODS: In this observational study, 29 patients and 39 immunocompetent controls underwent standard dual-dose vaccination. Blood samples were analysed before and two weeks after each vaccination, and after one year. Specific T-cells were characterized after stimulation with VZV-gE-peptides based on induction of cytokines and CTLA-4-expression using flow-cytometry. Antibodies were analysed using ELISA. FINDINGS: Both groups showed an increase in VZV-gE-specific CD4 T-cell levels over time (p < 0.0001), although median levels reached after second vaccination were lower in patients (0.17% (IQR 0.21%)) than in controls (0.24% (IQR 0.3%), p = 0.042). VZV-gE specific CD8 T-cells were only poorly induced. CTLA-4 expression on VZV-gE-specific CD4 T-cells was strongest after second dose with no differences between the groups (p = 0.45). Multifunctional cells co-expressing IFNγ, IL-2, and TNF were higher in patients after first vaccination (p = 0.028). Median VZV-specific IgG-levels reached a maximum after second vaccination with significantly lower levels in patients (10796 (IQR 12482) IU/l) than in controls (16899 (IQR 14019) IU/l, p = 0.009). Despite similar CD4 T-cell levels after one year (p = 0.415), antibody levels remained significantly lower in patients (p = 0.0008). INTERPRETATION: VZV-gE vaccination induced specific antibodies and CD4 T-cells in both patients and controls, whereas CD8 T-cell-induction was poor. Quantitative and qualitative differences in immunity may indicate reduced duration of protection which may necessitate booster vaccinations in patients on dialysis. FUNDING: HOMFORexzellent (to D.S.).

Immune Response to COVID-19 Vaccination in Elite Athletes.

Purpose: This study analyses the immune response of elite athletes after COVID-19 vaccination with double-dose mRNA and a single-dose vector vaccine. Methods: Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody titers, neutralizing activity, CD4 and CD8 T-cells were examined in blood samples from 72 athletes before and after vaccination against COVID-19 (56 mRNA (BNT162b2 / mRNA-1273), 16 vector (Ad26.COV.2) vaccines). Side effects and training time loss was also recorded. Results: Induction of IgG antibodies (mRNA : 5702 BAU/ml ; 4343 BAU/ml (hereafter: median), vector: 61 BAU/ml ; 52 BAU/ml, p<0.01), their neutralizing activity (99.7% ; 10.6%, p<0.01), and SARS-CoV-2 spike-specific CD4 T-cells (0.13% ; 0.05% ; p<0.01) after mRNA double-dose vaccines was significantly more pronounced than after a single-dose vector vaccine. SARS-CoV-2 spike-specific CD8 T-cell levels after a vector vaccine (0.15%) were significantly higher than after mRNA vaccines (0.02%; p<0.01). When athletes who had initially received the vector vaccine were boostered with an mRNA vaccine, IgG antibodies (to 3456 BAU/ml; p<0.01), neutralizing activity (to 100%; p<0.01), CD4 (to 0.13%; p<0.01) and CD8 T-cells (to 0.43%; p<0.01) significantly increased. When compared with dual-dose mRNA regimen, IgG antibody response was lower (p<0.01), the neutralizing activity (p<0.01) and CD8 T-cell (p<0.01) response higher and no significant difference in CD4 T-cell response (p=0.54) between the two regimens. Cumulative training loss (3 days) did not significantly differ between vaccination regimens (p=0.46). Conclusion: mRNA and vector vaccines against SARSCoV-2 appear to induce different patterns of immune response in athletes. Lower immune induction after a single-shot vector vaccine was clearly optimized by a heterologous booster. Vaccine reactions were mild and short-lived.

Apheresis treatment in autoimmune neurological diseases: Predictors of good clinical outcome and success of follow-up therapy with B-cell depletion.

OBJECTIVE: Apheresis treatment (AT) is an established standard of treatment in various neurological autoimmune diseases. Since not all patients equally benefit from AT, we saw the need to investigate the effect of different clinical, paraclinical and technical-apparative factors on the clinical outcome. Additionally, we wanted to find out whether patients who improved due to AT continue to be clinically stable under B-cell depletion (BCD). METHODS: We screened all patients (n = 358) with neurological diseases who received AT at the Medical center of the University of the Saarland in the past 20 years. Different factors (e.g., age, sex, duration until onset of AT, type of AT, number of cycles, csf parameters) were analyzed retrospectively. Clinical disability was measured using the modified Rankin scale (mRS), visual acuity and the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). RESULTS: 335 patients, categorized into 11 different autoimmune diagnosis groups, received a total of 2669 treatment cycles and showed a statistically significant improvement in mRS with AT (p < 0.001). Patients in American Society for Apheresis (ASFA) categories I (p = 0.013) and II (p = 0.035) showed a significantly greater benefit under AT than those in category III. The clinical outcome was better with shorter duration until AT onset, more cycles of AT, and more plasma volume exchanged and the presence of an autoimmune antibody. Patients who initially profited had a significantly more stable course of the disease after 1-Year-BCD (p = 0.039). DISCUSSION: In the present study, we were able to identify various significant factors influencing the outcome of patients due to AT. Furthermore, we could show that patients with a response to AT can benefit from BCD follow-up therapy.

SARS-CoV-2-specific cellular and humoral immunity after bivalent BA.4/5 COVID-19-vaccination in previously infected and non-infected individuals.

Knowledge is limited as to how prior SARS-CoV-2 infection influences cellular and humoral immunity after booster-vaccination with bivalent BA.4/5-adapted mRNA-vaccines, and whether vaccine-induced immunity may indicate subsequent infection. In this observational study, individuals with prior infection (n = 64) showed higher vaccine-induced anti-spike IgG-antibodies and neutralizing titers, but the relative increase was significantly higher in non-infected individuals (n = 63). In general, both groups showed higher neutralizing activity towards the parental strain than towards Omicron-subvariants BA.1, BA.2 and BA.5. In contrast, CD4 or CD8 T cell levels towards spike from the parental strain and the Omicron-subvariants, and cytokine expression profiles were similar irrespective of prior infection. Breakthrough infections occurred more frequently among previously non-infected individuals, who had significantly lower vaccine-induced spike-specific neutralizing activity and CD4 T cell levels. In summary, we show that immunogenicity after BA.4/5-bivalent vaccination differs between individuals with and without prior infection. Moreover, our results may help to improve prediction of breakthrough infections.

Potent induction of humoral and cellular immunity after bivalent BA.4/5 mRNA vaccination in dialysis patients.

Knowledge on immunogenicity of the bivalent Omicron BA.4/5 vaccine in dialysis patients and the effect of a previous infection is limited. Therefore, vaccine-induced humoral and cellular immunity was analyzed in dialysis patients and immunocompetent controls with and without prior infection. In an observational study, 33 dialysis patients and 58 controls matched for age, sex and prior infection status were recruited. Specific IgG, neutralizing antibody activity and cellular immunity towards the spike-antigen from parental SARS-CoV-2 and Omicron-subvariants BA.1, BA.2 and BA.4/5 were analyzed before and 13-18 days after vaccination. The bivalent vaccine led to a significant induction of IgG, neutralizing titers, and specific CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell levels. Neutralizing activity towards the parental strain was higher than towards the Omicron-subvariants, whereas specific T-cell levels towards parental spike and Omicron-subvariants did not differ indicating substantial cross-reactivity. Dialysis patients with prior infection had significantly higher spike-specific CD4+ T-cell levels with lower CTLA-4 expression compared to infection-naive patients. When compared to controls, no differences were observed between infection-naive individuals. Among convalescent individuals, CD4+ T-cell levels were higher in patients and neutralizing antibodies were higher in controls. Vaccination was overall well tolerated in both dialysis patients and controls with significantly less adverse events among patients. In conclusion, our study did not provide any evidence for impaired immunogenicity of the bivalent Omicron BA.4/5 vaccine in dialysis patients. Unlike in controls, previous infection of patients was even associated with higher levels of spike-specific CD4+ T cells, which may reflect prolonged encounter with antigen during infection.

Alterations in pathogen-specific cellular and humoral immunity associated with acute peripheral facial palsy of infectious origin.

BACKGROUND: Peripheral facial palsy (PFP) is a common neurologic symptom which can be triggered by pathogens, autoimmunity, trauma, tumors, cholesteatoma or further local conditions disturbing the peripheral section of the nerve. In general, its cause is often difficult to identify, remaining unknown in over two thirds of cases. As we have previously shown that the quantity and quality of pathogen-specific T cells change during active infections, we hypothesized that such changes may also help to identify the causative pathogen in PFPs of unknown origin. METHODS: In this observational study, pathogen-specific T cells were quantified in blood samples of 55 patients with PFP and 23 healthy controls after stimulation with antigens from varicella-zoster virus (VZV), herpes-simplex viruses (HSV) or borrelia. T cells were further characterized by expression of the inhibitory surface molecule CTLA-4, as well as markers for differentiation (CD27) and proliferation (Ki67). Pathogen-specific antibody responses were analyzed using ELISA. Results were compared with conventional diagnostics. RESULTS: Patients with PFP were more often HSV-seropositive than controls (p = 0.0003), whereas VZV- and borrelia-specific antibodies did not differ between groups. Although the quantity and general phenotypical characteristics of antigen-specific T cells did not differ either, expression of CTLA-4 and Ki67 was highly increased in VZV-specific T cells of 9 PFP patients, of which 5 showed typical signs of cutaneous zoster. In the remaining 4 patients, a causal relationship with VZV was possible but remained unclear by clinical standard diagnostics. A similar CTLA-4- and Ki67-expression profile of borrelia-specific T cells was also found in a patient with acute neuroborreliosis. DISCUSSION: In conclusion, the high prevalence of HSV-seropositivity among PFP-patients may indicate an underestimation of HSV-involvement in PFP, even though HSV-specific T cell characteristics seem insufficient to identify HSV as a causative agent. In contrast, striking alterations in VZV- and borrelia-specific T cell phenotype and function may allow identification of VZV- and borrelia-triggered PFPs. If confirmed in larger studies, antigen-specific immune-phenotyping may have the potential to improve specificity of the clinical diagnosis.

Treponema pallidum PCR screening at mucosal sites of asymptomatic men who have sex with men taking HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis.

Early detection and treatment of syphilis will reduce the infectious period and transmission. We aimed to determine whether screening men who have sex with men (MSM) taking HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for syphilis using Treponema pallidum polymerase chain reaction (PCR) could detect syphilis before the appearance of syphilis antibodies in serology. MSM attending 3-monthly PrEP clinic visits in Melbourne, Australia, were screened with a PCR assay targeting the polA gene of T. pallidum from an anal swab and an oral rinse between November 2019 and March 2020. Participants were serologically screened for syphilis using chemiluminescence immunoassay. A total of 309 asymptomatic participants provided an anal swab and oral rinse sample for T. pallidum PCR screening. Two syphilis cases (0.6%) were detected: one man had a positive serology only; another man had T. pallidum detected by PCR from an anal swab and a positive serology. PCR positivity was 0.3% (n = 1) for anal swabs and 0% (n = 0) for oral rinse. In this study, T. pallidum PCR screening at routine PrEP clinic visits did not identify additional cases of early syphilis over serological screening performed at these visits. IMPORTANCE With the ongoing syphilis epidemic in men who have sex with men (MSM), we investigated the role of using Treponema pallidum polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing at the oral cavity and anus in MSM taking pre-exposure prophylaxis for the early detection of syphilis. We evaluated whether the PCR tests from these mucosal sites can detect syphilis infection early, before the development of syphilis antibodies in serology. Our study found two syphilis cases among 309 MSM, and only one syphilis case had a positive anal PCR swab, although serology was positive. We conclude that additional PCR testing is likely to be expensive and would not be cost effective for individuals who regularly screen for syphilis. However, future studies with a larger sample size are required.

Differences in SARS-CoV-2 specific humoral and cellular immune responses after contralateral and ipsilateral COVID-19 vaccination.

BACKGROUND: Individual doses of dual-dose vaccine-regimens are sequentially administered into the deltoid muscle, but little attention has so far been paid to the immunological effects of choosing the ipsilateral or the contralateral side for the second dose. METHODS: In an observational study, 303 previously naive individuals were recruited, who received the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine BNT162b2 on either the ipsilateral (n = 147) or the contralateral side (n = 156). Spike-specific IgG, IgG-avidity, and neutralizing antibodies were quantified using ELISA and a surrogate assay 2 weeks after dose 2. A subgroup of 143 individuals (64 ipsilateral, 79 contralateral) was analysed for spike-specific CD4 and CD8 T-cells using flow-cytometry. FINDINGS: Median spike-specific IgG-levels did not differ after ipsilateral (4590 (IQR 3438) BAU/ml) or contralateral vaccination (4002 (IQR 3524) BAU/ml, p = 0.106). IgG-avidity was also similar (p = 0.056). However, neutralizing activity was significantly lower after contralateral vaccination (p = 0.024). Likewise, median spike-specific CD8 T-cell levels were significantly lower (p = 0.004). Consequently, the percentage of individuals with detectable CD8 T-cells was significantly lower after contralateral than after ipsilateral vaccination (43.0% versus 67.2%, p = 0.004). Spike specific CD4 T-cell levels were similar in both groups, but showed significantly higher CTLA-4 expression after contralateral vaccination (p = 0.011). These effects were vaccine-specific, as polyclonally stimulated T-cell levels did not differ. INTERPRETATION: Both ipsilateral and contralateral vaccination induce a strong immune response, but secondary boosting is more pronounced when choosing vaccine administration-routes that allows for drainage by the same lymph nodes used for priming. Higher neutralizing antibody activity and higher levels of spike-specific CD8 T-cells may have implications for protection from infection and severe disease and support general preference for ipsilateral vaccination. FUNDING: Financial support was provided in part by the State chancellery of the Saarland to M.S.

Transient Positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR without Induction of Systemic Immune Responses.

SARS-CoV-2 testing is dominated by PCR to guide treatment and individual as well as public health preventive measures. Among 1700 football (soccer) players and staff of the German Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 who were regularly tested by PCR twice weekly, 98 individuals had a positive PCR (May 2020 to mid-January 2021). A subset of these were retested shortly after the initial positive result. Among those, 11 subjects were identified who only had a transient single positive PCR of low viral load. All individuals were asymptomatic and none developed long COVID. We tested SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgA as well as SARS-CoV-2 specific CD4 und CD8 positive T cells, and showed that only one out of 11 individuals developed SARS-CoV-2 specific cellular and humoral immunity after the positive PCR, whereas a specific immunity was undetectable in all other individuals. Thus, a single positive PCR might indicate that transient colonization of the upper respiratory tract with SARS-CoV-2 may occur without systemic induction of specific adaptive immunity. Together with test artifacts as another potential reason for a transiently positive test, this finding may favor cautious interpretation of positive PCR results or retesting before initiating intervening treatment or infection control measures in some cases.

NVX-CoV2373-induced cellular and humoral immunity towards parental SARS-CoV-2 and VOCs compared to BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273-regimens.

BACKGROUND: The NVX-CoV2373-vaccine has recently been licensed, although knowledge on vaccine-induced humoral and cellular immunity towards the parental strain and variants of concern (VOCs) in comparison to mRNA-regimens is limited. METHODS: In this observational study, 66 individuals were recruited to compare immunogenicity and reactogenicity of NVX-CoV2373 with BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273. Vaccine-induced antibodies were analyzed using ELISA and neutralization assays, specific CD4 and CD8 T-cells were characterized based on intracellular cytokine staining using flow-cytometry after antigen-specific stimulation with parental spike or VOCs. RESULTS: Two doses of NVX-CoV2373 strongly induced anti-spike IgG, although IgG-levels were lower than after vaccination with BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273 (p = 0.006). Regardless of the vaccine and despite different IgG-levels, neutralizing activity towards VOCs was highest for Delta, followed by BA.2 and BA.1. The protein-based vaccine failed to induce any spike-specific CD8 T-cells which were detectable in 3/22 (14%) individuals only. In contrast, spike-specific CD4 T-cells were induced in 18/22 (82%) individuals, although their levels were lower (p<0.001), had lower CTLA-4 expression (p<0.0001) and comprised less multifunctional cells co-expressing IFNγ, TNFα and IL-2 (p = 0.0007). Unlike neutralizing antibodies, NVX-CoV2373-induced CD4 T-cells equally recognized all tested VOCs from Alpha to Omicron. In individuals with a history of infection, one dose of NVX-CoV2373 had similar immunogenicity as two doses in non-infected individuals. The vaccine was overall well tolerated. CONCLUSION: NVX-CoV2373 strongly induced spike-specific antibodies and CD4 T-cells, albeit at lower levels as mRNA-regimens. Cross-reactivity of CD4 T-cells towards the parental strain and all tested VOCs may hold promise to protect from severe disease.

Comparative immunogenicity and reactogenicity of heterologous ChAdOx1-nCoV-19-priming and BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273-boosting with homologous COVID-19 vaccine regimens.

Comparative analyses of the immunogenicity and reactogenicity of homologous and heterologous SARS-CoV-2 vaccine-regimens will inform optimized vaccine strategies. Here we analyze the humoral and cellular immune response following heterologous and homologous vaccination strategies in a convenience cohort of 331 healthy individuals. All regimens induce immunity to the vaccine antigen. Immunity after vaccination with ChAdOx1-nCoV-19 followed by either BNT162b2 (n = 66) or mRNA-1273 (n = 101) is equivalent to or more pronounced than homologous mRNA-regimens (n = 43 BNT162b2, n = 59 mRNA-1273) or homologous ChAdOx1-nCoV-19 vaccination (n = 62). We note highest levels of spike-specific CD8 T-cells following both heterologous regimens. Among mRNA-containing combinations, spike-specific CD4 T-cell levels in regimens including mRNA-1273 are higher than respective combinations with BNT162b2. Polyfunctional T-cell levels are highest in regimens based on ChAdOx1-nCoV-19-priming. All five regimens are well tolerated with most pronounced reactogenicity upon ChAdOx1-nCoV-19-priming, and ChAdOx1-nCoV-19/mRNA-1273-boosting. In conclusion, we present comparative analyses of immunogenicity and reactogenicity for heterologous vector/mRNA-boosting and homologous mRNA-regimens.

Sampling time for self-taking an oropharyngeal swab for gonorrhoea and chlamydia testing.

Self-taking oropharyngeal swabs for sexually transmitted infections such as gonorrhoea and chlamydia has become more common during the COVID-19 pandemic to minimise the risk to healthcare workers. However, there have been no standardised guidelines on sampling time for taking an oropharyngeal swab for gonorrhoea and chlamydia testing. We recruited 215 participants at the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Australia, between November 2021 and January 2022. We asked participants to report the time they spent on self-taking the oropharyngeal swab. The median self-taking sampling time was 8s (IQR=5-12), and the time did not differ between oropharyngeal gonorrhoea positivity (P =0.570) and oropharyngeal chlamydia positivity (P =0.457).

Case report: cerebral sinus vein thrombosis in two patients with AstraZeneca SARS-CoV-2 vaccination.

SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with an increased rate of thromboembolic events and mortality. Different vaccines are globally used to limit the pandemic. In this report, we present the case of two young female patients with newly diagnosed cerebral sinus vein thrombosis occurring after injection of the vector-based ChAdOx1 vaccine. Both patients presented with unusual headache only. The two of them used an estrogen-containing contraception, had had a history of deep venous thrombosis, and both had MTHFR mutations. Both patients developed SARS-CoV-2 specific humoral and cellular immunity including both CD4 and CD8 T cells. This rare, but serious complication needs to be considered after vaccination of young females, even if there is no evidence of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia.

Cellular immunity predominates over humoral immunity after homologous and heterologous mRNA and vector-based COVID-19 vaccine regimens in solid organ transplant recipients.

Knowledge on the immunogenicity of vector-based and mRNA-vaccines in solid organ transplant recipients is limited. Therefore, SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells and antibodies were analyzed in 40 transplant recipients and 70 controls after homologous or heterologous vaccine-regimens. Plasmablasts and SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4 and CD8 T cells were quantified using flow cytometry. Specific antibodies were analyzed by ELISA and neutralization assay. The two vaccine types differed after the first vaccination, as IgG and neutralizing activity were more pronounced after mRNA priming (p = .0001 each), whereas CD4 and CD8 T cell levels were higher after vector priming (p = .009; p = .0001). All regimens were well tolerated, and SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies and/or T cells after second vaccination were induced in 100% of controls and 70.6% of transplant recipients. Although antibody and T cell levels were lower in patients, heterologous vaccination led to the most pronounced induction of antibodies and CD4 T cells. Plasmablast numbers were significantly higher in controls and correlated with SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG- and T cell levels. While antibodies were only detected in 35.3% of patients, cellular immunity was more frequently found (64.7%) indicating that assessment of antibodies is insufficient to identify COVID-19-vaccine responders. In conclusion, heterologous vaccination seems promising in transplant recipients, and combined analysis of humoral and cellular immunity improves the identification of responders among immunocompromised individuals.

Immunogenicity and reactogenicity of heterologous ChAdOx1 nCoV-19/mRNA vaccination.

Heterologous priming with the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vector vaccine followed by boosting with a messenger RNA vaccine (BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273) is currently recommended in Germany, although data on immunogenicity and reactogenicity are not available. In this observational study we show that, in healthy adult individuals (n = 96), the heterologous vaccine regimen induced spike-specific IgG, neutralizing antibodies and spike-specific CD4 T cells, the levels of which which were significantly higher than after homologous vector vaccine boost (n = 55) and higher or comparable in magnitude to homologous mRNA vaccine regimens (n = 62). Moreover, spike-specific CD8 T cell levels after heterologous vaccination were significantly higher than after both homologous regimens. Spike-specific T cells were predominantly polyfunctional with largely overlapping cytokine-producing phenotypes in all three regimens. Recipients of both the homologous vector regimen and the heterologous vector/mRNA combination reported greater reactogenicity following the priming vector vaccination, whereas heterologous boosting was well tolerated and comparable to homologous mRNA boosting. Taken together, heterologous vector/mRNA boosting induces strong humoral and cellular immune responses with acceptable reactogenicity profiles.

Clinical Presentation of Incident Syphilis Among Men Who Have Sex with Men Taking HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis in Melbourne, Australia.

BACKGROUND: Current international guidelines on human immunodeficieny virus (HIV) Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) recommend serological screening for syphilis at routine 3-monthly PrEP appointments. The aim of our study was to describe the pattern of clinical presentation of syphilis among men who have sex with men (MSM) taking PrEP. We were interested in whether syphilis is detected through screening at scheduled3-monthly PrEP clinic appointments or whether primary or secondary syphilis presented at unscheduled interval visits. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of MSM attending the PrEP clinic at the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre between February 2016 and March 2019. Serological screening for syphilis was routinely undertaken at 3-monthly PrEP clinic appointments. Diagnoses of early syphilis were identified from PrEP clinic visits and from interim walk-in STI clinic attendances. RESULTS: There were 69 cases of early syphilis among 61 MSM taking PrEP during the study period. There were 24 (35%) primary, 16 (23%) secondary, and 29 (42%) early latent infections. The incidence of early syphilis was 8.6 per 100 person-years. A substantial proportion of primary (58%) and secondary (44%) syphilis diagnoses were made at interim STI clinic attendances, between PrEP appointments. CONCLUSIONS: Syphilis screening at routine 3-monthly PrEP visits alone fails to detect a proportion of primary and secondary syphilis infections and may be insufficient in preventing onward transmission. Education of MSM taking PrEP regarding the risk of syphilis and symptom recognition is necessary together with access to syphilis testing between PrEP visits.

Brief Report: Changes in PrEP Use, Sexual Practice, and Use of Face Mask During Sex Among MSM During the Second Wave of COVID-19 in Melbourne, Australia.

BACKGROUND: A second wave of COVID-19 began in late June in Victoria, Australia. Stage 3 then Stage 4 restrictions were introduced in July-August. This study aimed to compare the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and sexual practices among men who have sex with men taking PrEP between May-June (post-first lockdown) and July-August (second lockdown). METHODS: This was an online survey conducted among men who have sex with men who had their PrEP managed at the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Australia. A short message service with a link to the survey was sent to 503 PrEP clients who provided consent to receive a short message service from Melbourne Sexual Health Centre in August 2020. RESULTS: Of the 192 participants completed the survey, 153 (80%) did not change how they took PrEP. Of the 136 daily PrEP users, 111 (82%) continued to take daily PrEP, 3 (2%) switched to on-demand PrEP, and 22 (16%) stopped PrEP in July-August. Men generally reported that they had no partners or decreased sexual activities during second lockdown compared with post-first lockdown; the number of casual sex partners (43% decreased vs. 3% increased) and the number of kissing partners (36% decreased vs. 3% increased). Most men reported no chemsex (79%) or group sex (77%) in May-August. 10% (13/127) of men had ever worn face masks during sex in May-August. CONCLUSION: During the second wave of COVID-19 in Victoria, most men did not change the way they used PrEP but the majority had no risks or reduced sexual practices while one in 10 men wore a face mask during sex.

Prolonged Course of COVID-19-Associated Pneumonia in a B-Cell Depleted Patient After Rituximab.

Patients with pre-existing comorbidities and immunosuppression are at greater risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe manifestations of COVID-19. This also includes cancer patients, who are shown to have a poor prognosis after infection. Here, we describe the case of a 72-year old male patient with B-cell depletion after maintenance treatment with rituximab for non-Hodgkin-lymphoma who had a prolonged COVID-19 course and initial false negative test results. Our case highlights the diagnostic pitfalls in diagnosing COVID-19 in B-cell depleted patients and discuss the role of B-cell depletion in the course and treatment of COVID-19. Furthermore, we investigated peripheral blood monocytes and SARS-CoV-2 specific T cells in our patient. In conclusion, our case report can help physicians to avoid diagnostic pitfalls for COVID-19 in hemato-oncological patients under chemoimmunotherapy and tries to explain the role of B-cell depletion and SARS-CoV-2 specific T cells in this context.

High levels of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells with restricted functionality in severe courses of COVID-19.

BACKGROUNDPatients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) differ in the severity of disease. We hypothesized that characteristics of SARS-CoV-2-specific immunity correlate with disease severity.METHODSIn this study, SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells and antibodies were characterized in uninfected controls and patients with different coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disease severity. SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells were flow cytometrically quantified after stimulation with SARS-CoV-2 peptide pools and analyzed for expression of cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-2, and TNF-α) and markers for activation, proliferation, and functional anergy. SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG and IgA antibodies were quantified using ELISA. Moreover, global characteristics of lymphocyte subpopulations were compared between patient groups and uninfected controls.RESULTSDespite severe lymphopenia affecting all major lymphocyte subpopulations, patients with severe disease mounted significantly higher levels of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells as compared with convalescent individuals. SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4+ T cells dominated over CD8+ T cells and closely correlated with the number of plasmablasts and SARS-CoV-2-specific IgA and IgG levels. Unlike in convalescent patients, SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells in patients with severe disease showed marked alterations in phenotypical and functional properties, which also extended to CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in general.CONCLUSIONGiven the strong induction of specific immunity to control viral replication in patients with severe disease, the functionally altered characteristics may result from the need for contraction of specific and general immunity to counteract excessive immunopathology in the lung.FUNDINGThe study was supported by institutional funds to MS and in part by grants of Saarland University, the State of Saarland, and the Rolf M. Schwiete Stiftung.