Autoantibodies Neutralizing Type I IFNs in the Bronchoalveolar Lavage of at Least 10% of Patients During Life-Threatening COVID-19 Pneumonia

• DOI: 10.1007/s10875-023-01512-9
• Publication Date: 2023-05-20T12:02:07Z
• Authors: Quentin Philippot; Arnaud Fekkar; Adrian Gervais; Tom Le Voyer; Leonoor S. Boers; Clément Conil; Lucy Bizien; Justin de Brabander; Jan Willem Duitman; Alessia Romano; Jérémie Rosain; Marion Blaize; Mélanie Migaud; Maxime Jeljeli; Boualem Hammadi; Aurore Desmons; Astrid Marchal; ; Esther J. Nossent; Anno Saris; Heder De Vries; Lilian J. Meijboom; Siebe G. Blok; Alex R. Schuurman; Tom D. Y. Reijnders; F. Hugenholtz; Juan J. Garcia Va...; Hetty Bontkes; Alexander P. J. V...; Joost Wiersinga; René Lutter; Tom van der Poll; Harm Jan Bogaard; Robert F. J. Kull...; Shiqi Zhang; Esther J. Nossent; Leo M. A. Heunks; Pieter Roel Tuinman; Peter I. Bonta; ; Laurent Abel; Saleh Al-Muhsen; Andrés A. Arias; Dusan Bogunovic; Alexandre Bolze; Ahmed A. Bousfiha; Davood Mansouri; Isabelle Meyts; Rebeca Perez de D...; Vanessa Sancho-Sh...; András N. Spaan; Stuart G. Tangye; Shen-Ying Zhang; Helen C. Su; Julien Mayaux; Qian Zhang; Emmanuelle Jouanguy; Raphael Borie; Bruno Crestani; Charles Edouard Luyt; Homa Adle-Biassette; Damien Sene; Bruno Megarbane; Aurélie Cobat; Paul Bastard; Lieuwe D. J. Bos; Jean-Laurent Casa...; Anne Puel
• Keywords: Interferon Type I; Humans; COVID-19; Interferon-alpha; Original Article; Bronchoalveolar Lavage; Autoantibodies

Abstract Autoantibodies (auto-Abs) neutralizing type I interferons (IFNs) are found in the blood of at least 15% unvaccinated patients with life-threatening COVID-19 pneumonia. We report here presence auto-Abs IFNs bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) 54 415 (13%) pneumonia tested. The individuals BAL included 45 (11%) against IFN-α2, 37 (9%) IFN-ω, IFN-α2 and/or ω, and five (1%) IFN-β, including three (0.7%) two (0.5%) IFN-β. Auto-Abs also neutralize other 12 subtypes IFN-α. Paired plasma samples were available for 95 patients. All seven paired who had detectable plasma, one patient only blood. are, therefore, present alveolar space 10% These findings suggest that these impair IFN immunity lower respiratory tract, thereby contributing to hypoxemic