Eculizumab impairs Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B killing in whole blood despite 4CMenB vaccination of PNH patients

JD Langereis, B van den Broek, S Franssen… - Blood …, 2020 - ashpublications.org
JD Langereis, B van den Broek, S Franssen, I Joosten, NMA Blijlevens, MI de Jonge
Blood Advances, 2020ashpublications.org
Complement C5 inhibitor eculizumab has a great impact on the treatment of patients with
paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH). However, this treatment success has a major
drawback: a substantially increased susceptibility for life-threatening Neisseria meningitidis
infections. Therefore, N meningitidis vaccination is strongly advised before initiating
complement C5–blocking therapy. In this study, we show that the multicomponent N
meningitidis serogroup B (4CMenB) vaccination of PNH patients treated with eculizumab …
Abstract
Complement C5 inhibitor eculizumab has a great impact on the treatment of patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH). However, this treatment success has a major drawback: a substantially increased susceptibility for life-threatening Neisseria meningitidis infections. Therefore, N meningitidis vaccination is strongly advised before initiating complement C5–blocking therapy. In this study, we show that the multicomponent N meningitidis serogroup B (4CMenB) vaccination of PNH patients treated with eculizumab results in a significant increase in anti–N meningitidis serogroup B (MenB) plasma immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels. Anti-MenB IgG was able to bind to the bacterial surface and initiate complement activation; however, inhibition of the membrane attack complex formation completely blocked whole blood–mediated killing of MenB. This would suggest that, despite 4CMenB vaccination, PNH patients taking C5 inhibitors are not sufficiently protected against MenB infection, which is in line with the fact that vaccinated PNH patients still experience meningococcal infections.
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