SARS-Cov-2 immunity in COVID-19 convalescent individuals living with HIV: bulk immune profiling and SARS-CoV-2 specific humoral and cellular immune responses

POLO, MARÍA LAURA; CZERNIKIER, ALEJANDRO; DENISE GIANONE; VECCHIONE, MARÍA B.; GHIGLIONE, YANINA; BALINOTTI, SILVUA; TURK, GABRIELA; LONGUEIRA, YESICA; LAUFER, NATALIA L; MARÍA FLORENCIA QUIROGA

Conferencia; IAS 2021: IAS Conference on HIV Science; 2021

Background: SARS-CoV-2-specific immune response features inPLWHA remain to be fully elucidated. The impact of HIV over the immune profile of lymphocyte populations in PLWHA recovered fromCOVID-19, as well as the humoral and cellular response secondary toCOVID-19 were evaluated.Methods: Samples from donors to the Argentinean Biobank of Infectious Diseases with COVID-19 diagnosis: 21 PLWHA on ART and 21 HIVnegative (HIVneg) were included. Plasma and PBMC were obtained.SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG/IgM levels and IgG titers were determined byELISA (COVIDAR test). Antibody neutralization capacity was evaluatedagainst wild-type SARS-CoV-2. IFN-g-secreting cells were detected byELISPOT using SARS-CoV-2 Spike, RBD or Nucleocapsid protein (10 mg/mL,) or overlapping peptide pools spanning Spike or Nucleocapsidproteins (1mg/mL). Frequency and phenotype of bulk T, B and NK cellswere assessed by flow cytometry.Results: PLWHA median age was 47 (IQR:39.5-54); LTCD4=513 cells/uL(IQR:351-873). HIVneg median age was 41 (IQR:35-57). All individualspresented mild/moderate COVID-19. Mean time from symptoms onset to donation was 44 days (IQR:29.5-55) for HIVneg and 62 (IQR:35-93) for PLWHA. 75% of PLWHA and 85% of HIVneg had detectableSARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies, with IgG levels not differing betweengroups. Among PLWHA, neutralization capacity correlated with IgGtiters (r:0.90, p