People living with HIV easily lose their immune response to SARS-CoV-2: result from a cohort of COVID-19 cases in Wuhan, China

Abstract

Background: To date, whether the immune response for SARS-CoV-2 infection among people living with HIV(PLWH) is different from HIV-naïve individuals is still not clear.

Methods: In this cohort study, COVID-19 patients admitted to hospitals in Wuhan between January 15 and April 1, 2020, were enrolled. Patients were categorized into PLWH and HIV-naïve group. All patients were followed up regularly (every 15 days) until November 30, 2020, and the immune response towards SARS-CoV-2 was observed.

Results: Totally, 18 PLWH and 185 HIV-naïve individuals with COVID-19 were enrolled. The positive conversion rates of IgG were 56% in PLWH and 88% in HIV-naïve patients respectively, and the peak was on the 45th day after COVID-19 onset. However, the positive rate of IgG dropped to 12% in PLWH and 33% among HIV-naïve individuals by the end of the study. The positive conversion rate of IgG among asymptomatic carriers is significantly lower than that among patients with moderate disease (AOR = 0.24, 95% CI 0.07-0.85). PLWH had a lower IgG seroconversion rate (AOR = 0.11, 95% CI 0.03-0.39) and shorter IgG duration (AHR = 3.99, 95% CI 1.43-11.13) compared to HIV-naïve individuals. Patients with higher lymphocyte counts at onset had a lower positive conversion rate (AOR = 0.30, 95% CI 0.10-0.87) and shorter duration for IgG (AHR = 4.01, 95% CI 1.78-9.02).

Conclusions: The positive conversion rate of IgG for SARS-CoV-2 was relatively lower and quickly lost in PLWH.

Keywords: COVID-19; Immune response; People living with HIV (PLWH); SARS-CoV-2.