Humoral immune response in multiple sclerosis patients following PfizerBNT162b2 COVID19 vaccination: Up to 6 months cross-sectional study

• Published in: Journal of neuroimmunology Vol. 361; p. 577746
• Main Authors: Achiron, Anat, Mandel, Mathilda, Dreyer-Alster, Sapir, Harari, Gil, Dolev, Mark, Menascu, Shay, Magalashvili, David, Flechter, Shlomo, Givon, Uri, Guber, Diana, Sonis, Polina, Zilkha-Falb, Rina, Gurevich, Michael
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 15-12-2021
• Subjects: Adult; Antibodies, Viral - blood; Antirheumatic Agents - therapeutic use; BNT162 Vaccine - immunology; COVID-19; COVID-19 - prevention & control; Cross-Sectional Studies; Disease modifying treatments; Female; Humans; Humoral immunity; IgG antibody; Immunity, Humoral - immunology; Immunoglobulin G - blood; Immunosuppressive Agents - therapeutic use; Male; Middle Aged; Multiple sclerosis; Multiple Sclerosis - drug therapy; Multiple Sclerosis - immunology; Prospective Studies; SARS-CoV-2; Vaccination; COVID-19; Multiple sclerosis; IgG antibody; Disease modifying treatments; Vaccination; Humoral immunity
• ISSN: 0165-5728; 1872-8421
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2021.577746

Appropriate immune response following COVID-19 vaccination is important in the context of disease-modifying treatments (DMTs). In a prospective cross-sectional study, we determined SARS-COV-2 IgG response up to 6 months following PfizerBNT162b2 vaccination in 414 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and 89 healthy subjects. Protective response was demonstrated in untreated MS patients (N = 76, 100%), treated with Cladribine (N = 48, 100%), Dimethyl fumarate (N = 35, 100%), Natalizumab (N = 32, 100%), and Teriflunomide (N = 39, 100%), similarly to healthy subjects (N = 89, 97.8%). Response was decreased in Fingolimod (N = 42, 9.5%), Ocrelizumab (N = 114, 22.8%) and Alemtuzumab (N = 22, 86.4%) treated patients. IgG response can help tailor adequate vaccine guidelines for MS patients under various DMTs.
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•Immune responses after PfizerBioNTech COVID-19 vaccination differ in multiple sclerosis patients treated with various DMTs.•Durability of the anti-SARS-COV-2 IgG response to the vaccine was maintained up to 6 months post vaccination.•The relative impact of the time from the last dosing to vaccination is of significance to humoral IgG response.•Absence of SARS-COV-2 antibodies in patients treated with Fingolimod or Ocrelizumab suggests these patients will need a booster vaccine dose.