Adeno-associated virus serotype 9 antibody titers in patients with SMA pre-screened for treatment with onasemnogene abeparvovec –routine care evidence

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is characterized by progressive weakness of skeletal and respiratory muscles. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of pre-existing anti adeno-associated virus serotype 9 antibody (AAV9-Ab) titers among infantile-onset SMA diagnosed infants pre-screened for treatment with AAV9-based onasemnogene abeparvovec, and to explore whether clinical and/or demographic characteristics are correlated with AAV9 Ab test results. This is a retrospective multicenter study of children diagnosed with 5q SMA younger than two years of age. The obtained data included demographic data, SMA type, SMN2 gene copy number, onset date, and results of AAV9-Ab test and of SMA prior treatments. Thirty-four patients were enrolled; six patients had positive results of AAV9-Ab (titer > 1:50) in the initial screening, 15 patients were re-tested for AAV9-Abs, of whom, three patients had seroreverted [1.5–4.5 months] between the two AAV9-Abs tests. One patient had seroconverted (5.5 months after the first AAV9-Abs test). The remaining 11 patients presented matching titer results in the two tests. No demographic/clinical factors were correlated to high AAV9-Abs titers (P > 0.05).We recommend AAV9-Ab re-tests to be performed until the age of 8 months, or, if 1.5 months or more have passed after the initial AAV9-Abs test.