A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal

Patients with autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 1 have an increased susceptibility to severe herpesvirus infections




AuthorsHetemäki Iivo, Laakso Saila, Välimaa Hannamari, Kleino Iivari, Kekäläinen Eliisa, Mäkitie Outi, Arstila T. Petteri

Publication year2021

JournalClinical Immunology

Journal name in sourceClinical immunology (Orlando, Fla.)

Journal acronymClin Immunol

Article number108851

Volume231

ISSN1521-6616

eISSN1521-7035

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.clim.2021.108851


Abstract
Almost all patients with autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 1 (APS-1) have neutralizing antibodies against type 1 interferons (IFN), important mediators of antiviral defense. Recently, neutralizing anti-IFN antibodies were shown to be a risk factor of severe COVID-19. Here we show in a cohort of 44 patients with APS-1 that higher titers of neutralizing anti-IFNα4 antibodies are associated with a higher and earlier incidence of VZV reactivation (herpes zoster). The patients also present with uncommonly severe clinical sequelae of herpetic infections. APS-1 patients had decreased humoral immune responses to varicella zoster virus, but cellular responses were comparable to healthy controls. These results suggest that blocking the type I interferon pathway in patients with APS-1 patients leads to a clinically significant immune deficiency, and susceptibility to herpesviruses should be taken into account when treating patients with APS-1.



Last updated on 2024-26-11 at 14:45