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. 2023 Feb:135:102981.
doi: 10.1016/j.jaut.2022.102981. Epub 2022 Dec 22.

Accelerated waning of immune responses to a third COVID-19 vaccination in patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases

Daniel Mrak  1 , Felix Kartnig  1 , Daniela Sieghart  1 , Elisabeth Simader  1 , Helga Radner  1 , Peter Mandl  1 , Lisa Göschl  1 , Philipp Hofer  2 , Thomas Deimel  1 , Irina Gessl  1 , Renate Kain  2 , Stefan Winkler  3 , Josef S Smolen  1 , Thomas Perkmann  4 , Helmuth Haslacher  4 , Daniel Aletaha  1 , Leonhard X Heinz  5 , Michael Bonelli  6
Affiliations

Accelerated waning of immune responses to a third COVID-19 vaccination in patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases

Daniel Mrak et al. J Autoimmun. 2023 Feb.

Abstract

Background: A 3rd COVID-19 vaccination is currently recommended for patients under immunosuppression. However, a fast decline of antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein has been observed. Currently it remains unclear whether immunosuppressive therapy affects kinetics of humoral and cellular immune responses.

Methods: 50 patients under immunosuppression and 42 healthy controls (HCs) received a 3rd dose of an mRNA-based vaccine and were monitored over a 12-weeks period. Humoral immune response was assessed 4 and 12 weeks after 3rd dose. Antibodies were quantified using the Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Spike immunoassay against the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein. SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell responses were quantified by IFN-γ ELISpot assays. Adverse events, including SARS-CoV-2 infections, were monitored over a 12-week period.

Results: At week 12, reduced anti-RBD antibody levels were observed in IMID patients as compared to HCs (median antibody level 5345 BAU/ml [1781-10,208] versus 9650 BAU/ml [6633-16,050], p < 0.001). Reduction in relative antibody levels was significantly higher in IMID patients as compared to HCs at week 12 (p < 0.001). Lowest anti-RBD antibody levels were detected in IMID patients who received biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) or a combination therapy with conventional synthetic and biological DMARDs. Number of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells against wildtype and Omicron variants remained stable over 12 weeks in IMID patients. No serious adverse events were reported.

Conclusion: Due to a fast decline in anti-RBD antibodies in IMID patients an early 4th vaccination should be considered in this vulnerable group of patients.

Keywords: COVID-19; Immunosuppression; SARS-CoV-2; Vaccination.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest DM reports support for meeting attendances from Pfizer and consultation fees from AstraZeneca; JS reports about grants, consulting and personal fees from AbbVie, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Astro, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celltrion, Gilead-Galapagos, Janssen, Lilly, Pfizer, R-Pharma, Samsung, Sanofi, Chugai, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Novartis-Sandoz Roche, Samsung and UCB and grants from Abbvie, AstraZeneca, Lilly, Novartis, and Roche; HR received speaker fees from Gilead, Merck Sharp and Pfizer and travel support from Janssen; HH received grants from Glock Health, BlueSky Immunotherapies and Neutrolis; DA received grants, speaker fees, or consultancy fees from Abbvie, Amgen, Galapagos, Lilly, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Sandoz, and Sanofi; RK reports consulting fees from AstraZeneca, Takeda Pharma, MEDahead and Janssen Cilag and speaker fees from Otsuka; ES received travel support from Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Boehringer-Ingelheim and speaker fees from Lilly; MB reports about personal fees from Eli-Lilly. All other authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Trial flow diagram.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Humoral immune response at week 4 after 3rdvaccination. A) Antibody levels to the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the viral spike (S) protein in patients (n = 50) and healthy controls (n = 42) at screening (week 0), week 4 and week 12 after the 3rd vaccination. B) Relative anti-RBD antibody abundance at week 12 (week 4 = 100%) in patients and HCs.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell response. SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell responses were determined by ELISpot assay from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) stimulated with wild type (WT) and Omicron spike subunit S1 and S2 peptide pools at week 0, 1 and 12 after the 3rd vaccination. A) Ex vivo IFN-γ ELISpot results of 28 patients and 25 HCs for SARS-CoV-2 WT and Omicron peptide pools at week 0, week 1 and week 12 post vaccination. B) Correlation of average SFCs/106 PBMCs for Omicron peptide pools at week 1 with antibody levels to the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the viral spike (S) protein at week 4 and 12 post vaccination.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Treatment-specific response to a 3rdvaccination. A) Antibody levels to the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the viral spike (S) protein at week 0, 4 and 12 in HCs (42), patients with csDMARD (25), bDMARD (14) or csDMARD/bDMARD combination treatment (10). B) Relative anti-RBD antibody abundance at week 12 (week 4 = 100%) in patients and HCs for the indicated treatments.
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