Humoral and cell-mediated immune responses in HIV-vertically infected young patients after three doses of the BNT162b2 mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccine

• DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1301766
• Publication Date: 2024-01-04T04:44:43Z
• Authors: Claudia Vanetti; Marta Stracuzzi; Elisa Crivellaro; Federica Ciciliano; Micaela Garziano; Claudio Fenizia; Mara Biasin; Valeria Rubinacci; Antonella Amendola; Elisabetta Tanzi; Gian Vincenzo Zuc...; Mario Clerici; Vania Giacomet; Daria Trabattoni
• Keywords: Viremia; Vaccine efficacy

Background Data on the efficacy of three SARS-CoV-2 mRNA BNT162b2 vaccine doses and role previous SARS-CoV-2-infection in enhancing immunogenicity HIV-vertically-infected people living with HIV (PLWH) are limited, as is duration vaccine-induced responses. Methods plasma neutralizing activity (NA) against European (B.1), Delta (B.1.617.2) Omicron (B.1.1.529) variants cell-mediated immunity (CMI) were analyzed 29 ART-treated young PLWH (mean age 27.9 years) 30 healthy controls (HC) who received doses. Individuals stratified based presence/absence infection (infected vaccinated -SIV-; uninfected -SV-). Analyses performed before vaccination (T0), 25 days from second dose (T1), day third was administered (T2), 3 months after (T3). Results In PLWH: i) NA all higher SIV compared to SV at T2 increased T3; ii) switched-memory plasmablasts augmented alone iii) a specific T cell memory generated; iv) IFN-γ-secreting CD4+ CD8+ lymphocytes boosted T3 mainly SV. CMI magnitude reduced HC. Notably, viremia unmodified, but CD4 counts reduced>20% 3/29 PHLW. Conclusion A induces strong humoral responses independently natural infection. The lower should be considered when planning booster PLWH.