BACKGROUND: SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, has killed more than 7 million people worldwide. Understanding the development of postinfectious and postvaccination immune responses is necessary for effective treatment and the introduction of appropriate antipandemic measures. OBJECTIVES: We analysed humoral and cell-mediated anti-SARS-CoV-2 immune responses to spike (S), nucleocapsid (N), membrane (M), and open reading frame (O) proteins in individuals collected up to 1.5 years after COVID-19 onset and evaluated immune memory. METHODS: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells and serum were collected from patients after COVID-19. Sampling was performed in two rounds: 3-6 months after infection and after another year. Most of the patients were vaccinated between samplings. SARS-CoV-2-seronegative donors served as controls. ELISpot assays were used to detect SARS-CoV-2-specific T and B cells using peptide pools (S, NMO) or recombinant proteins (rS, rN), respectively. A CEF peptide pool consisting of selected viral epitopes was applied to assess the antiviral T-cell response. SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies were detected via ELISA and a surrogate virus neutralisation assay. RESULTS: We confirmed that SARS-CoV-2 infection induces the establishment of long-term memory IgG+ B cells and memory T cells. We also found that vaccination enhanced the levels of anti-S memory B and T cells. Multivariate comparison also revealed the benefit of repeated vaccination. Interestingly, the T-cell response to CEF was lower in patients than in controls. CONCLUSION: This study supports the importance of repeated vaccination for enhancing immunity and suggests a possible long-term perturbation of the overall antiviral immune response caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection.
- Klíčová slova
- COVID-19, ELISpot, SARS-CoV-2, adaptive immunity, antibody, immune memory, virus neutralisation assay,
- MeSH
- B-lymfocyty imunologie MeSH
- buněčná imunita imunologie MeSH
- COVID-19 * imunologie MeSH
- dospělí MeSH
- ELISPOT MeSH
- glykoprotein S, koronavirus imunologie MeSH
- humorální imunita MeSH
- imunologická paměť MeSH
- leukocyty mononukleární imunologie MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- protilátky virové * krev imunologie MeSH
- SARS-CoV-2 * imunologie MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- T-lymfocyty imunologie MeSH
- vakcíny proti COVID-19 imunologie MeSH
- Check Tag
- dospělí MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- Názvy látek
- glykoprotein S, koronavirus MeSH
- protilátky virové * MeSH
- spike protein, SARS-CoV-2 MeSH Prohlížeč
- vakcíny proti COVID-19 MeSH
The ELISpot assay is a sensitive technique applied to assess cytokine-producing memory/effector T cells and human leukocyte antigens (HLA)-specific IgG-producing B cells. Besides the fact that the method is laborious and is difficult to standardise between laboratories, it may provide valuable information on the immune response of recipients before and after organ transplantation. In this article, we briefly review the recent literature and discuss the clinical significance of the ELISpot assay in predicting the risk and incidence of allograft rejection and survival.
- Klíčová slova
- ELISpot, HLA, antibodies, interferon-gamma, organ transplantation, rejection,
- MeSH
- ELISPOT MeSH
- interferon gama MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- rejekce štěpu * MeSH
- T-lymfocyty MeSH
- transplantace ledvin * MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- přehledy MeSH
- Názvy látek
- interferon gama MeSH
Chronic kidney disease stage 5 (CKD5) dialysis patients who stay long term in uremic environment often exhibit several, poorly defined, immune impairments. In this study, we assessed peripheral virus-specific effector/memory cells and subpopulations of T, B and DC cells using ELISPOT and FACS methods in 74 low-risk kidney transplant candidates without anti-HLA antibodies, prior to transplantation in pre-emptive (never experienced dialysis) and dialysis cohorts. There was difference in circulating marginal zone B cells (MZB) (IgDhighCD27high) between dialysis patients and those receiving kidney grafts pre-emptively (P = .002). Patients treated on dialysis >12 months had also 4.2-fold greater risk of increased absolute numbers of MZB (95%CI:1.6-11.2; P = .004). There were no other differences in B-, T- and DC-cell subsets. Numbers of effector/memory T cells reactive to major opportunistic virus-specific antigens (CMV, BKV and EBV) were not affected by dialysis. Non-sensitised dialysis-treated patients displayed significantly more circulating MZB compared to those CKD5 patients that had never undergone dialysis therapy.
- Klíčová slova
- Chronic kidney disease stage 5 (CKD5), Dialysis, Marginal zone B cells,
- MeSH
- antigeny CD27 metabolismus MeSH
- B-lymfocyty imunologie MeSH
- chronická renální insuficience imunologie terapie MeSH
- dendritické buňky imunologie MeSH
- dialýza MeSH
- dospělí MeSH
- ELISPOT MeSH
- imunologická paměť MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mladiství MeSH
- mladý dospělý MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- slezina patologie MeSH
- T-lymfocyty imunologie MeSH
- Check Tag
- dospělí MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mladiství MeSH
- mladý dospělý MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- Názvy látek
- antigeny CD27 MeSH
The current diagnostic algorithm for beta-lactam allergy is based on skin and provocation tests, both of which carry a certain risk of inducing hypersensitivity reactions. Thus, non-invasive in vitro tests reliable enough to replace skin and provocation tests at least in a portion of patients are desirable. We aimed to verify the utility of IFN-γ ELISPOT as a first-line test in patients with suspected non-immediate hypersensitivity reaction to amoxicillin (AMX) and penicillin (PNC). The prospective observational study included 24 patients with recent, suspected non-immediate hypersensitivity reaction to AMX or PNC and 6 recently-exposed healthy subjects. In vitro tests were performed in all patients and healthy subjects: a) IFN-γ ELISPOT with PNC, AMX and amoxicillin plus clavulanic acid (AMX-CL); b) penicillin specific IgE; c) basophil activation test (BAT). Skin and provocation tests followed only in certain patients. IFN-γ ELISPOT results with PNC and AMX stimulation did not differ from the unstimulated condition. The highest IFN-γ responses to AMX-CL were close to previously published criteria in three patients; one of which had true hypersensitivity according to drug provocation tests. Five patients with confirmed hypersensitivity by skin tests showed no response to the culprit antibiotic on IFN-γ ELISPOT assay. Our results did not support the utility of IFN-γ ELISPOT in the diagnosis of mild, non-immediate hypersensitivity to amoxicillin and penicillin.
- Klíčová slova
- Allergy, Amoxicillin, ELISPOT, Hypersensitivity, Penicillin,
- MeSH
- amoxicilin škodlivé účinky imunologie MeSH
- antibakteriální látky škodlivé účinky imunologie MeSH
- dospělí MeSH
- ELISPOT metody MeSH
- imunoenzymatické techniky MeSH
- léková alergie diagnóza imunologie MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- peniciliny škodlivé účinky imunologie MeSH
- prospektivní studie MeSH
- Check Tag
- dospělí MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- pozorovací studie MeSH
- Názvy látek
- amoxicilin MeSH
- antibakteriální látky MeSH
- peniciliny MeSH
BACKGROUND: The reactivation of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) in immunosuppressed patients is associated with significant morbidity. Testing HCMV-specific T-cell responses can help determine which patients are at high risk of HCMV disease. We optimized selection of HCMV antigens for detection of T-cell response of patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) with the aim of identifying patients with insufficient control of HCMV reactivation. METHODS: T-cell immune response to HCMV was monitored in 30 patients during the first year after HSCT. The HSCT recipients were classified according to their anti-HCMV T-cell response and the presence of HCMV DNA in the blood. RESULTS: We observed an inverse relationship between the magnitude of HCMV-specific T-cell responses against CMV lysate, phosphoprotein (pp) 65, immediate early-1 (IE-1), UL36, and UL55, but not to US3 and US29 detected by interferon-gamma (IFNγ)- ELISPOT and the level of HCMV DNA in the blood of patients during the 30 days following sampling. The study has revealed that patients who received a graft from a seronegative donor have a lower T-cell response against HCMV and increased probability of HCMV reactivation in comparison to the patients who had received their graft from a seropositive donor. CONCLUSION: The individual peptide pools and native HCMV antigens were useful for monitoring the time course of the anti-HCMV response by IFNγ-ELISPOT, which proved to have a prognostic value. Besides widely employed peptide pools of pp65 and IE-1, the use of antigens UL36 and UL55, but not US3 or US29, increased sensitivity of the test.
- Klíčová slova
- ELISPOT, T cell, allogeneic stem cell transplantation, human cytomegalovirus, interferon-gamma,
- MeSH
- antigeny virové genetika imunologie MeSH
- antivirové látky terapeutické užití MeSH
- CD8-pozitivní T-lymfocyty imunologie virologie MeSH
- cytomegalovirové infekce farmakoterapie imunologie virologie MeSH
- Cytomegalovirus genetika imunologie MeSH
- ELISPOT MeSH
- fosfoproteiny imunologie MeSH
- imunokompromitovaný pacient MeSH
- interferon gama krev MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- transplantace hematopoetických kmenových buněk škodlivé účinky MeSH
- virové proteiny genetika imunologie MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- Názvy látek
- antigeny virové MeSH
- antivirové látky MeSH
- fosfoproteiny MeSH
- interferon gama MeSH
- virové proteiny MeSH
BACKGROUND: Our retrospective study included a cohort of 47 patients who underwent living donor kidney transplantation.The pre-transplant frequencies of donor-specific Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) producing cells were define dusing enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot (ELISpot) assay and correlated with incidence of acute cellular(ACR), antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) and kidney graft survival up to one year after transplantation. RESULTS: We found a statistically significant correlation between the frequencies of IFN-γ-producing cells and the number of mismatches in HLA antigens between patients and their respective donors – for Class I – A and B (r = 0.399, p b 0.01) and for Class I and Class II antigens – A, B and DR (r = 0.409, p b 0.01). No significant relationship was observed between the numbers of IFN-γ-secreting cells and incidence of acute rejection (neither ACR, nor AMR). However, there was a trend of elevated frequencies of IFN-γ-producing cells in patients who developed ACR or AMR in comparison with kidney recipients free of rejection (91 ± 82 and 114 ± 75 vs. 72 ± 70/5 × 10(4) peripheral blood mononuclear cells respectively). Patients with concurrent acute cellular and antibody-mediated rejection had also higher numbers of IFN-γ-producing memory/effector cells compared to patients with cellular rejection only. CONCLUSION: Pre-transplant determination of the numbers of IFN-γ-producing donor-specific memory cells using the ELISpot technique may provide clinically relevant results when evaluating the risk of development of acute cellular and antibody-mediated rejection. These frequencies are influenced by the degree of HLA mismatching between patients and their respective kidney donors.
- Klíčová slova
- Acute rejection, ELISpot, HLA antigens, Interferon-gamma, Kidney transplantation,
- MeSH
- akutní nemoc MeSH
- buněčná cytotoxicita závislá na protilátkách MeSH
- dospělí MeSH
- ELISPOT MeSH
- HLA antigeny imunologie MeSH
- interferon gama metabolismus MeSH
- kohortové studie MeSH
- kultivované buňky MeSH
- leukocyty mononukleární imunologie MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mladý dospělý MeSH
- následné studie MeSH
- přežívání štěpu MeSH
- rejekce štěpu diagnóza imunologie MeSH
- retrospektivní studie MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- transplantace ledvin * MeSH
- Check Tag
- dospělí MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mladý dospělý MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- Názvy látek
- HLA antigeny MeSH
- interferon gama MeSH
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus is endemic in large parts of Europe and Central and Eastern Asia and causes more than 10,000 annual cases of neurological disease in humans. It is closely related to the mosquito-borne yellow fever, dengue, Japanese encephalitis, and West Nile viruses, and vaccination with an inactivated whole-virus vaccine can effectively prevent clinical disease. Neutralizing antibodies are directed to the viral envelope protein (E) and an accepted correlate of immunity. However, data on the specificities of CD4(+) T cells that recognize epitopes in the viral structural proteins and thus can provide direct help to the B cells producing E-specific antibodies are lacking. We therefore conducted a study on the CD4(+) T cell response against the virion proteins in vaccinated people in comparison to TBE patients. The data obtained with overlapping peptides in interleukin-2 (IL-2) enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot (ELISpot) assays were analyzed in relation to the three-dimensional structures of the capsid (C) and E proteins as well as to epitope predictions based on major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II peptide affinities. In the C protein, peptides corresponding to two out of four alpha helices dominated the response in both vaccinees and patients, whereas in the E protein concordance of immunodominance was restricted to peptides of a single domain (domain III). Epitope predictions were much better for C than for E and were especially erroneous for the transmembrane regions. Our data provide evidence for a strong impact of protein structural features that influence peptide processing, contributing to the discrepancies observed between experimentally determined and computer-predicted CD4(+) T cell epitopes. Importance: Tick-borne encephalitis virus is endemic in large parts of Europe and Asia and causes more than 10,000 annual cases of neurological disease in humans. It is closely related to yellow fever, dengue, Japanese encephalitis, and West Nile viruses, and vaccination with an inactivated vaccine can effectively prevent disease. Both vaccination and natural infection induce the formation of antibodies to a viral surface protein that neutralize the infectivity of the virus and mediate protection. B lymphocytes synthesizing these antibodies require help from other lymphocytes (helper T cells) which recognize small peptides derived from proteins contained in the viral particle. Which of these peptides dominate immune responses to vaccination and infection, however, was unknown. In our study we demonstrate which parts of the proteins contribute most strongly to the helper T cell response, highlight specific weaknesses of currently available approaches for their prediction, and demonstrate similarities and differences between vaccination and infection.
- MeSH
- antigeny virové chemie imunologie MeSH
- CD4-pozitivní T-lymfocyty imunologie MeSH
- dospělí MeSH
- ELISPOT MeSH
- epitopy imunologie MeSH
- inaktivované vakcíny aplikace a dávkování imunologie MeSH
- interleukin-2 metabolismus MeSH
- klíšťová encefalitida imunologie MeSH
- konformace proteinů MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mladiství MeSH
- mladý dospělý MeSH
- senioři nad 80 let MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- virové vakcíny aplikace a dávkování imunologie MeSH
- viry klíšťové encefalitidy imunologie MeSH
- Check Tag
- dospělí MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mladiství MeSH
- mladý dospělý MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- senioři nad 80 let MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- Názvy látek
- antigeny virové MeSH
- epitopy MeSH
- inaktivované vakcíny MeSH
- interleukin-2 MeSH
- virové vakcíny MeSH
Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID), the most frequent primary antibody disorder, is characterized by hypogammaglobulinaemia and impaired antibody production. Poor vaccination response is essential for the diagnosis of CVID. Their under laying defects remain to be elucidated. Routine determination of antibody production in serum from CVID patients after vaccination and investigation of B cell function in vivo is complicated due to substitution therapy. Therefore we investigated antibody production on the B-cell level by ELISPOT and characterized changes in B-cell subpopulations in CVID patients, including plasmablasts, in peripheral blood by flow cytometry after vaccination for specification of the diagnosis. Thirty-seven CVID patients and eighty healthy volunteers were immunized with tetanus toxoid and pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccines. Specific antibody levels and B cell subpopulations were measured before vaccination and on day 7 after vaccination by ELISPOT assay and flow cytometry respectively. Of the thirty-seven well defined CVID patients studied, thirty lacked detectable spot forming cells producing specific IgG, IgA or IgM antibodies against employed vaccines and seven had only weak responses compared to controls. In the control group, an increase in circulating plasmablasts on day 7 post immunization corresponded with the appearance of antibody forming cells. In contrast, CVID patients failed to increase plasmablasts significantly in peripheral blood after antigen challenge. Our findings indicate that CVID patients have a block in terminal B-cell differentiation and that flow based assessment of plasmablasts in peripheral blood after vaccination serves as a surrogate diagnostic marker for assessing in vivo antibody responses in patients suspected to have CVID.
- MeSH
- B-lymfocyty cytologie imunologie MeSH
- běžná variabilní imunodeficience diagnóza imunologie MeSH
- buněčná diferenciace * MeSH
- dospělí MeSH
- ELISPOT MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- pneumokokové vakcíny aplikace a dávkování imunologie MeSH
- podskupiny lymfocytů imunologie MeSH
- protilátky bakteriální biosyntéza MeSH
- průtoková cytometrie MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- tetanový toxoid aplikace a dávkování imunologie MeSH
- Check Tag
- dospělí MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- Názvy látek
- pneumokokové vakcíny MeSH
- protilátky bakteriální MeSH
- tetanový toxoid MeSH
HIV-specific and non-specific immune responses are crucial in the immunopathogenesis of HIV infection. Therefore, the objective of our study was to analyse the frequency and functional status of HIV-specific CD8+ T cells and the expression of non-specific activation markers on CD8+ T cells in HIV+ patients, and to assess the effects of combined antiretroviral treatment (cART). We examined 28 HIV+ patients, including 13 patients not receiving therapy and 15 patients on cART therapy using ELISpot assay and flow cytometry with intracellular and MHC tetramer staining. MHC tetramers detected HIV-specific CD8+ T cells in 6 HIV+ patients on cART and in 7 untreated individuals; the ELISpot method detected these cells in 5 untreated HIV+ individuals only. Reduced intracellular IFN-γ and IL-2 production by HIV-specific CD8+ T cells was detected in both treated and untreated HIV+ patients, and multifunctional CD8+ T cells simultaneously producing these cytokines were not found in any patient. In contrary to these findings, the percentage of CD8+ T cells expressing CD38 and HLA-DR was significantly higher in untreated patients as compared to HIV+ patients on cART. Together, these results suggest that the alterations of HIV-specific immunity are not influenced by the therapy of HIV infection; whereas, the non-specific chronic immune activation is down-regulated by cART.
- MeSH
- antigeny CD38 biosyntéza MeSH
- CD8-pozitivní T-lymfocyty imunologie MeSH
- dospělí MeSH
- ELISPOT MeSH
- HIV infekce farmakoterapie imunologie MeSH
- HIV imunologie MeSH
- HLA-DR antigeny biosyntéza MeSH
- interferon gama biosyntéza MeSH
- interleukin-2 biosyntéza MeSH
- látky proti HIV aplikace a dávkování MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- membránové glykoproteiny biosyntéza MeSH
- průtoková cytometrie MeSH
- Check Tag
- dospělí MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- Názvy látek
- antigeny CD38 MeSH
- CD38 protein, human MeSH Prohlížeč
- HLA-DR antigeny MeSH
- interferon gama MeSH
- interleukin-2 MeSH
- látky proti HIV MeSH
- membránové glykoproteiny MeSH
