Assessment of the Interferon-Lambda-3 Polymorphism in the Antibody Response to COVID-19 in Older Adults Seropositive for CMV

• Published in: Vaccines (Basel) 2023-02, Vol.11 (2), p.480
• Main Authors: Nardy, Ariane, Camargo, Camila Tussato Soares, Oliveira, Yasmim Faustina Castro de, Silva, Fernanda Cristina da, Almeida, Millena Soares de, Monteiro, Fernanda Rodrigues, Silva, Brenda Rodrigues, Amaral, Jônatas Bussador do, Oliveira, Danielle Bruna Leal, Durigon, Edison Luiz, Scagion, Guilherme Pereira, Chalup, Vanessa Nascimento, Candido, Érika Donizetti, Aguiar, Andressa Simões, Novo, Neil Ferreira, Shio, Marina Tiemi, França, Carolina Nunes, Nali, Luiz Henrique da Silva, Bachi, André Luis Lacerda
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adults; Aged; Aging; allele; Alleles; Analysis; Antibodies; Antibody response; Antigens; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 vaccines; Cytokines; Cytomegalovirus; Cytomegaloviruses; Health aspects; Hepatitis C; Heterozygotes; Immune response; Immunoglobulin G; immunoglobulins; Immunology; Infections; Influenza; Interferon; Neutralizing; neutralizing antibody; Older people; outbreak; Pandemics; Polymorphism; SARS-CoV-2; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Vaccines; Viral diseases; Viral infections; Viruses
• ISSN: 2076-393X; 2076-393X
• DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11020480

Here, we investigated the impact of IFN-lambda-3 polymorphism on specific IgG responses for COVID-19 in older adults seropositive for CMV. Blood samples of 25 older adults of both sexes were obtained at three different times: during a micro-outbreak (MO) of SARS-CoV-2 in 2020; eight months after (CURE); and 30 days after the administration of the second dose of ChadOx-1 vaccine (VAC). The specific IgG for both SARS-CoV-2 and CMV antigens, neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, and also the polymorphism profile for IFN-lambda-3 (rs12979860 C > T) were assessed. Higher levels of specific IgG for SARS-CoV-2 antigens were found in the MO and VAC than in the CURE time-point. Volunteers with specific neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 showed better specific IgG responses for SARS-CoV-2 and lower specific IgG levels for CMV than volunteers without specific neutralizing antibodies. Significant negative correlations between the specific IgG levels for SARS-CoV-2 and CMV were found at the MO time-point, as well as in the group of individuals homozygous for allele 1 (C/C) in the MO time-point and heterozygotes (C/T) in the CURE time-point. Our results suggested that both CMV seropositivity and the homozygosis for allele 1 (C/C) in IFN-lambda-3 gene can negatively impact the antibody response to COVID-19 infection and vaccination in older adults.