Impact of BNT162b2 mRNA anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccine on interferon-alpha production by plasmacytoid dendritic cells and autoreactive T cells in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: The COVALUS project

Arthur Mageau; John Tchen; Valentine Marie Ferré; Pascale Nicaise-Roland; Diane Descamps; Nicole Delory; Chrystelle François; Celine Mendes; Thomas Papo; Tiphaine Goulenok; Nicolas Charles; Karim Sacré

doi:10.1016/j.jaut.2022.102987

Impact of BNT162b2 mRNA anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccine on interferon-alpha production by plasmacytoid dendritic cells and autoreactive T cells in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: The COVALUS project

J Autoimmun. 2023 Jan:134:102987. doi: 10.1016/j.jaut.2022.102987. Epub 2022 Dec 19.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Département de Médecine Interne, Hôpital Bichat, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France; Centre de Recherche sur l'Inflammation, INSERM UMR1149, CNRS ERL8252, Université Paris Cité, Laboratoire d'Excellence Inflamex, Paris, France; Infection, Antimicrobiens, Modélisation, évolution (IAME), INSERM UMR 1137, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France.
² Centre de Recherche sur l'Inflammation, INSERM UMR1149, CNRS ERL8252, Université Paris Cité, Laboratoire d'Excellence Inflamex, Paris, France.
³ Infection, Antimicrobiens, Modélisation, évolution (IAME), INSERM UMR 1137, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France; Service de Virologie, Hôpital Bichat, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France.
⁴ Service d'Immunologie Autoimmunité, hypersensibilités et biothérapies Hôpital Bichat, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France; Université Paris Cité, Inserm, PHERE, F-75018, Paris, France.
⁵ Département de Médecine Interne, Hôpital Bichat, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France.
⁶ Département de Médecine Interne, Hôpital Bichat, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France; Centre de Recherche sur l'Inflammation, INSERM UMR1149, CNRS ERL8252, Université Paris Cité, Laboratoire d'Excellence Inflamex, Paris, France.
⁷ Département de Médecine Interne, Hôpital Bichat, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France; Centre de Recherche sur l'Inflammation, INSERM UMR1149, CNRS ERL8252, Université Paris Cité, Laboratoire d'Excellence Inflamex, Paris, France. Electronic address: karim.sacre@aphp.fr.

Abstract

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.

Keywords: Plasmacytoid dendritic cells; SARS-CoV-2; Systemic lupus erythematosus; Type-1 interferon; mRNA vaccine.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Antibodies, Viral
BNT162 Vaccine
COVID-19 Vaccines
COVID-19* / prevention & control
Dendritic Cells
Humans
Immunoglobulin G / metabolism
Interferon-alpha / metabolism
Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic*
Prospective Studies
RNA, Messenger / metabolism
SARS-CoV-2
T-Lymphocytes

Substances

BNT162 Vaccine
RNA, Messenger
COVID-19 Vaccines
Interferon-alpha
Immunoglobulin G
Antibodies, Viral