Development of humoral and cellular immunological memory against SARS-CoV-2 despite B cell depleting treatment in multiple sclerosis
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Asplund Högelin K, Ruffin N, Pin E, Månberg A, Hober S, Gafvelin G, Grönlund H, Nilsson P, Khademi M, Olsson T, Piehl F, Al Nimer F
iScience 24 (9) 103078
[2021-09-00; online 2021-09-00]
B cell depleting therapies (BCDTs) are widely used as immunomodulating agents for autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis. Their possible impact on development of immunity to severe acute respiratory syndrome virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has raised concerns with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We here evaluated the frequency of COVID-19-like symptoms and determined immunological responses in participants of an observational trial comprising several multiple sclerosis disease modulatory drugs (COMBAT-MS; NCT03193866) and in eleven patients after vaccination, with a focus on BCDT. Almost all seropositive and 17.9% of seronegative patients on BCDT, enriched for a history of COVID-19-like symptoms, developed anti-SARS-CoV-2 T cell memory, and T cells displayed functional similarity to controls producing IFN-γ and TNF. Following vaccination, vaccine-specific humoral memory was impaired, while all patients developed a specific T cell response. These results indicate that BCDTs do not abrogate SARS-CoV-2 cellular memory and provide a possible explanation as to why the majority of patients on BCDTs recover from COVID-19.
Research Area: High-throughput and high-content serology
PubMed 34490414
DOI 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103078
Crossref 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103078
pii: S2589-0042(21)01046-4
pmc: PMC8410640