The T-cell clonal response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in inflammatory bowel disease patients is augmented by anti-TNF therapy and often deficient in antibody-responders

Abstract

Background: Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 is a highly effective strategy to protect against infection, which is predominantly mediated by vaccine-induced antibodies. Postvaccination antibodies are robustly produced by those with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) even on immune-modifying therapies but are blunted by anti-TNF therapy. In contrast, T-cell response which primarily determines long-term efficacy against disease progression,, is less well understood. We aimed to assess the post-vaccination T-cell response and its relationship to antibody responses in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) on immune-modifying therapies.

Methods: We evaluated IBD patients who completed SARS-CoV-2 vaccination using samples collected at four time points (dose 1, dose 2, 2 weeks after dose 2, 8 weeks after dose 2). T-cell clonal analysis was performed by T-cell Receptor (TCR) immunosequencing. The breadth (number of unique sequences to a given protein) and depth (relative abundance of all the unique sequences to a given protein) of the T-cell clonal response were quantified using reference datasets and were compared to antibody responses.

Results: Overall, 303 subjects were included (55% female; 5% with prior COVID) (Table). 53% received BNT262b (Pfizer), 42% mRNA-1273 (Moderna) and 5% Ad26CoV2 (J&J). The Spike-specific clonal response peaked 2 weeks after completion of the vaccine regimen (3- and 5-fold for breadth and depth, respectively); no changes were seen for non-Spike clones, suggesting vaccine specificity. Reduced T-cell clonal depth was associated with chronologic age, male sex, and immunomodulator treatment. It was preserved by non-anti-TNF biologic therapies, and augmented clonal depth was associated with anti-TNF treatment. TCR depth and breadth were associated with vaccine type; after adjusting for age and gender, Ad26CoV2 (J&J) exhibited weaker metrics than mRNA-1273 (Moderna) (p=0.01 for each) or BNT262b (Pfizer) (p=0.056 for depth). Antibody and T-cell responses were only modestly correlated. While those with robust humoral responses also had robust TCR clonal expansion, a substantial fraction of patients with high antibody levels had only a minimal T-cell clonal response.

Conclusion: Age, sex and select immunotherapies are associated with the T-cell clonal response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, and T-cell responses are low in many patients despite high antibody levels. These factors, as well as differences seen by vaccine type may help guide reimmunization vaccine strategy in immune-impaired populations. Further study of the effects of anti-TNF therapy on vaccine responses are warranted.