Abstract
People with HIV (PWH) appear at higher risk for suboptimal pathogen responses and worse COVID-19 outcomes, but the effects of host factors and COVID-19 on the humoral repertoire remain unclear. We assessed the antibody isotype/subclass and Fc-receptor binding Luminex arrays of non-SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV-2 humoral
responses among ART-treated PWH. Among the entire cohort, COVID-19 infection was associated with higher CMV responses (vs COVID-negative), potentially signifying increased susceptibility or a consequence of persistent inflammation. Among the COVID-positive, 1) higher BMI was associated with a striking amplification of SARSCoV-2 responses, suggesting exaggerated inflammatory responses, and 2) lower nadir CD4 was associated with higher SARS-CoV-2 IgM and FcgRIIB binding capacity, indicating poorly functional extrafollicular and inhibitory responses. Among the COVID-negative, female sex, older age, and lower nadir CD4 were associated with unique repertoire shifts. In this first comprehensive assessment of the humoral repertoire in a global cohort of PWH, we identify distinct SARS-CoV-2-specific humoral immune profiles among PWH with obesity or lower nadir CD4+ T-cell count, underlining plausible
mechanisms associated with worse COVID-19-related outcomes in this setting. Host factors associated with the humoral repertoire in the COVID-negative cohort enhance our understanding of these important shifts among PWH