The adaptive immune response to SARS-CoV-2 includes specific antibody and T cell responses. The identification of a subpopulation of specific CD4 effector T cells that present the activation markers CD134 (OX40) and CD25 on their surface, which can be detected and quantified by flow cytometry after incubating blood with mitogens and/or specific antigens of pathogens to study, has demonstrated its utility in other infections.

In this webinar, Eduardo López-Granados, MD, PhD and Luz Yadira Bravo Gallego, MD will explain their preliminary experience as an Immunology laboratory in the setting-up of the OX40 assay for the identification of CD4+ T cell specific responses to SARS-CoV-2 peptides, together with its ongoing application to determine the extent and characteristics of the response to natural infection and vaccination.

Eduardo López-Granados, MD, PhD is the Head of the Clinical Immunology Department at La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain, reference center for the diagnosis and management of primary Immunodeficiencies (PID), and other immune-based diseases.

Dr. Lopez-Granados is Director of the Lymphocyte Pathophysiology Group at La Paz Biomedical Research Institute (IdiPAZ) and the Rare Diseases of the Immune System Group, at the Spanish Rare Disease Network Research Center (CIBERER). La Paz University Hospital coordinates the European Reference Network for Pediatric Transplantation (ERN-TRANSPLANTChild), being Dr. Lopez Granados Coordinator of the Network´s Research Working Group.

He has a solid experience in the use of flow cytometry as a diagnostic and research tool, being author of several publications that present innovative flow-cytometric approaches in clinic. He is member of the PID Group of the EuroFlow consortium since 2011. He is deeply involved in the development and clinical implementation of novel diagnostic tools for the analysis of cellular and antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2, in healthy and immunocompromised patients.

Luz Yadira Bravo Gallego, MD is the Medical Advisor of the European Reference Network for Pediatric Transplantation (ERN-TRANSPLANTChild) and belongs to the Lymphocyte Pathophysiology Group at La Paz Biomedical Research Institute (IdiPAZ) and the Rare Diseases of the Immune System Group, at the Spanish Rare Disease Network Research Center (CIBERER).

Dr. Bravo Gallego is an expert in the clinical and immunological evaluation of the host-pathogen interaction in several clinical scenarios, with particular dedication to the analysis of the immune competence in pediatric patients that receive a Hematopoietic and Stem Cell Transplantation, in which she is focusing her PhD project.