Tocilizumab-treated convalescent COVID-19 patients retain the cross-neutralization potential against SARS-CoV-2 variants

• DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106124
• Publication Date: 2023-02-03T02:59:12Z
• Authors: Camille Chauvin; Laurine Levillayer; Mathilde Roumier; Hubert Nielly; Claude Roth; Anupama Karnam; Srinivasa Reddy B...; Anne Bourgarit; Clément Dubost; Aurore Bousquet; Sébastien Le Burel; Raphaële Mestiri; Damien Sene; Joris Galland; Marc Vasse; Matthieu Groh; Mathilde Le Marchand; Camille Vassord-Dang; Jean-François Gau...; Nhan Pham-Thi; Christiane Verny; Bruno Pitard; Cyril Planchais; Hugo Mouquet; Richard Paul; Etienne Simon-Lor...; Jagadeesh Bayry; Laurent Gilardin; Anavaj Sakuntabhai
• Keywords: Tocilizumab; Cytokine Release Syndrome; Cytokine Storm

Although tocilizumab treatment in severe and critical coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients has proven its efficacy at the clinical level, there is little evidence supporting effect of short-term use interleukin-6 receptor blocking therapy on B cell sub-populations cross-neutralization SARS-CoV-2 variants convalescent COVID-19 patients. We performed immunological profiling 69 tocilizumab-treated non-treated total. observed that SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG1 titers depended severity but not treatment. The plasma both treated infected with ancestral variant exhibit strong neutralizing activity against virus Alpha, Beta, Delta SARS-CoV-2, whereas Gamma Omicron viruses were less sensitive to seroneutralization. Overall, we that, despite benefits modifying cytokine storm associated infections, no modifications robustness IgG responses Spike antigens.