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

Journal: Clinical 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.



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