Anti-IFN-α/-ω neutralizing antibodies from COVID-19 patients correlate with downregulation of IFN response and laboratory biomarkers of disease severity.

ABSTRACT: A significant number of COVID-19 patients were shown to have neutralizing antibodies (NAB) against IFN; however, NAB specificity, fluctuation over time, associations with biochemical and hematological parameters, and IFN gene expression are not well characterized. Binding antibodies (BAB) to IFN-α/-β were screened in COVID-19 patients' serum. All BAB positive sera, and a subset of respiratory samples, were tested for NAB against IFN-α/-β/-ω, using an antiviral bioassay. Transcript levels of IFN-α/-β/-ω and IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) were quantified. Anti-IFN-I BAB were found in 61 out of 360 (17%) of patients. Among BAB positive sera, 21.3% had a high NAB titer against IFN-α. A total of 69.2% of anti-IFN-α NAB sera displayed cross-reactivity to IFN-ω. Anti-IFN-I NAB persisted in all patie

SUBMITTER: Frasca F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9087404 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature