TY - JOUR
T1 - Autoantibodies Neutralizing Type III Interferons Are Uncommon in Patients with Severe Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pneumonia
AU - Vanker, Martti
AU - Särekannu, Karita
AU - Fekkar, Arnaud
AU - Jørgensen, Sofie Eg
AU - Haljasmägi, Liis
AU - Kallaste, Anne
AU - Kisand, Kai
AU - Lember, Margus
AU - Peterson, Pärt
AU - Menon, Madhvi
AU - Hussell, Tracy
AU - Knight, Sean
AU - Moore-Stanley, James
AU - Bastard, Paul
AU - Zhang, Shen Ying
AU - Mogensen, Trine H.
AU - Philippot, Quentin
AU - Zhang, Qian
AU - Puel, Anne
AU - Casanova, Jean Laurent
AU - Kisand, Kai
PY - 2023/9/1
Y1 - 2023/9/1
N2 - Autoantibodies (AABs) neutralizing type I interferons (IFN) underlie about 15% of cases of critical coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia. The impact of autoimmunity toward type III IFNs remains unexplored. We included samples from 1,002 patients with COVID-19 (50% with severe disease) and 1,489 SARS-CoV-2-naive individuals. We studied the prevalence and neutralizing capacity of AABs toward IFNλ and IFNα. Luciferase-based immunoprecipitation method was applied using pooled IFNα (subtypes 1, 2, 8, and 21) or pooled IFNλ1-IFNλ3 as antigens, followed by reporter cell-based neutralization assay. In the SARS-CoV-2-naive cohort, IFNλ AABs were more common (8.5%) than those targeting IFNα2 (2.9%) and were related with older age. In the COVID-19 cohort the presence of autoreactivity to IFNλ did not associate with severe disease [odds ratio (OR) 0.84; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.40-1.73], unlike to IFNα (OR 4.88; 95% CI 2.40-11.06; P < 0.001). Most IFNλ AAB-positive COVID-19 samples (67%) did not neutralize any of the 3 IFNλ subtypes. Pan-IFNλ neutralization occurred in 5 patients (0.50%), who all suffered from severe COVID-19 pneumonia, and 4 of them neutralized IFNα2 in addition to IFNλ. Overall, AABs to type III IFNs are rarely neutralizing, and do not seem to predispose to severe COVID-19 pneumonia on their own.
AB - Autoantibodies (AABs) neutralizing type I interferons (IFN) underlie about 15% of cases of critical coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia. The impact of autoimmunity toward type III IFNs remains unexplored. We included samples from 1,002 patients with COVID-19 (50% with severe disease) and 1,489 SARS-CoV-2-naive individuals. We studied the prevalence and neutralizing capacity of AABs toward IFNλ and IFNα. Luciferase-based immunoprecipitation method was applied using pooled IFNα (subtypes 1, 2, 8, and 21) or pooled IFNλ1-IFNλ3 as antigens, followed by reporter cell-based neutralization assay. In the SARS-CoV-2-naive cohort, IFNλ AABs were more common (8.5%) than those targeting IFNα2 (2.9%) and were related with older age. In the COVID-19 cohort the presence of autoreactivity to IFNλ did not associate with severe disease [odds ratio (OR) 0.84; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.40-1.73], unlike to IFNα (OR 4.88; 95% CI 2.40-11.06; P < 0.001). Most IFNλ AAB-positive COVID-19 samples (67%) did not neutralize any of the 3 IFNλ subtypes. Pan-IFNλ neutralization occurred in 5 patients (0.50%), who all suffered from severe COVID-19 pneumonia, and 4 of them neutralized IFNα2 in addition to IFNλ. Overall, AABs to type III IFNs are rarely neutralizing, and do not seem to predispose to severe COVID-19 pneumonia on their own.
KW - autoantibodies
KW - COVID-19
KW - type I interferons
KW - type III interferons
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85171808202&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1089/jir.2023.0003
DO - 10.1089/jir.2023.0003
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 37253131
AN - SCOPUS:85171808202
SN - 1079-9907
VL - 43
SP - 379
EP - 393
JO - Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research
JF - Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research
IS - 9
ER -