10.25384/SAGE.C.6339617.V1
Simon Faissner
Simon
Faissner
Neele Heitmann
Neele
Heitmann
Ricarda Rohling
Ricarda
Rohling
Ulas Ceylan
Ulas
Ceylan
Marielena Bongert
Marielena
Bongert
Carlos Plaza-Sirvent
Carlos
Plaza-Sirvent
Corinna Marheinecke
Corinna
Marheinecke
Xiomara Pedreiturria
Xiomara
Pedreiturria
Ilya Ayzenberg
Ilya
Ayzenberg
St. Josef-Hospital
Sechenov University
Kerstin Hellwig
Kerstin
Hellwig
Ingo Schmitz
Ingo
Schmitz
Stephanie Pfaender
Stephanie
Pfaender
Ruhr University Bochum
Ralf Gold
Ralf
Gold
Ruhr University Bochum
Preserved T-cell response in anti-CD20-treated multiple sclerosis patients following SARS-CoV-2 vaccination
<div>Background:<p>The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has tremendous implications for the management of patients with autoimmune conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS) under immune therapies targeting CD20<sup>+</sup> B cells (aCD20).</p>Objectives:<p>Here, we investigated humoral and cellular immune responses, including anti-spike titers, neutralization against SARS-CoV-2 wild-type (WT), delta, and omicron variant and T cell responses of aCD20-treated relapsing–remitting MS patients following SARS-CoV-2 vaccination compared with healthy controls.</p>Methods:<p>Blood samples were collected within 4–8 weeks following the second vaccination against SARS-CoV-2. Sera were analyzed for anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike antibodies and neutralization capacity against pseudovirus for wild-type (WT), delta, and omicron variant. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were stimulated with a SARS-CoV-2 peptide pool and analyzed <i>via</i> flow cytometry.</p>Results:<p>The aCD20-treated MS patients had lower anti-SARS-CoV-2-spike titers, which correlated with B cell repopulation. Sera of aCD20-treated patients had reduced capacity to neutralize WT, delta, and omicron pseudoviruses <i>in vitro</i>. On the contrary, PBMCs of aCD20-treated patients elicited higher frequencies of CD3<sup>+</sup> T cells and CD4<sup>+</sup> T cells and comparable response of cytotoxic T cells, while Th1 response was reduced following restimulation with SARS-CoV-2.</p>Conclusion:<p>In summary, aCD20-treated patients have a reduced humoral immune response, depending on B cell repopulation, in accordance with preserved cellular immune response, suggesting partial cellular protection against SARS-CoV-2.</p></div>
110904 Neurology and Neuromuscular Diseases
111599 Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences not elsewhere classified
SAGE Journals
2022
2022-12-10
2022-12-10
Collection
10.1177/17562864221141505
10.25384/SAGE.c.6339617
CC BY 4.0