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Publications

Journal Article Epublish

PubMed: 39854310 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0317965

Low agreement and frequent invalid controls in two SARS-CoV-2 T-cell assays in people with compromised immune function.

PLoS One 20(1):e0317965

Authors: Annette Audigé, Alain Amstutz, Macé M Schuurmans, Patrizia Amico, Dominique L Braun, Marcel P Stoeckle, Barbara Hasse, René Hage, Dominik Damm, Michael Tamm, Nicolas J Mueller, Huldrych F Günthard, Michael T Koller, Christof M Schönenberger, Alexandra Griessbach, Niklaus D Labhardt, Roger D Kouyos, Alexandra Trkola, Michael Huber, Katharina Kusejko, Heiner C Bucher, Irene A Abela, Matthias Briel, Frédérique Chammartin, Benjamin Speich

Affiliations

  • Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
  • Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
  • Oslo Center for Biostatistics and Epidemiology (OCBE), Oslo University Hospital, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
  • Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.
  • Division of Pulmonology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
  • Clinic for Transplantation Immunology and Nephrology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
  • Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
  • Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
  • Clinic of Respiratory Medicine and Pulmonary Cell Research, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
  • Swiss Transplant Cohort Study, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
  • Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.

Abstract

T-cell response plays an important role in SARS-CoV-2 immunogenicity. For people living with HIV (PWH) and solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients there is limited evidence on the reliability of commercially available T-cell tests. We assessed 173 blood samples from 81 participants (62 samples from 35 PWH; 111 samples from 46 SOT recipients [lung and kidney]) with two commercial SARS-CoV-2 Interferon-γ (IFN-γ) release assays (IGRA; SARS-CoV-2 IGRA by Euroimmun, and IGRA SARS-CoV-2 by Roche). The reliability between the tests was judged as low (Cohen's kappa [κ] = 0.20; overall percent agreement [OPA] = 66%). A high proportion of tests were invalid (22% Euroimmun; 8% Roche). When excluding these invalid tests, the agreement was higher (κ  =  0.43; OPA = 90%). The low reliability between the two T-cell tests indicates that results should be interpreted with caution in SOT recipients and PWH and that SARS-CoV-2 T-cell tests need to be optimized and further validated for use in vulnerable patient populations.

MeSH

Cells, Sars-Cov-2, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Related Coronavirus, T-Lymphocytes