Impact of Cytokine Inhibitor Therapy on the Prevalence, Seroconversion Rate, and Longevity of the Humoral Immune Response Against SARS-CoV-2 in an Unvaccinated Cohort

Simon D, Tascilar K, Kleyer A, Fagni F, Krönke G, Meder C, Dietrich P, Orlemann T, Kliem T, Moessner J, Liphardt AM, Schoenau V, Bohr D, Schuster L, Hartmann F, Leppkes M, Ramming A, Pachowsky M, Schuch F, Ronneberger M, Kleinert S, Hueber A, Manger K, Manger B, Atreya R, Berking C, Sticherling M, Neurath M, Schett G (2022)


Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2022

Journal

DOI: 10.1002/art.42035

Abstract

Objective To investigate the impact of biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (bDMARD) treatment on the prevalence, seroconversion rate, and longevity of the humoral immune response against SARS-CoV-2 in patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs). Methods Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies were measured in a prospective cohort of health care professional controls and non-health care controls and IMID patients receiving no treatment or receiving treatment with conventional or biologic DMARDs during the first and second COVID-19 waves. Regression models adjusting for age, sex, sampling time, and exposure risk behavior were used to calculate relative risks (RRs) of seropositivity. Seroconversion rates were assessed in participants with polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-positive SARS-CoV-2 infection. Antibody response longevity was evaluated by reassessing participants who tested positive during the first wave. Results In this study, 4,508 participants (2,869 IMID patients and 1,639 controls) were analyzed. The unadjusted RR (0.44 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.31-0.62]) and adjusted RR (0.50 [95% CI 0.34-0.73]) for SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies were significantly lower in IMID patients treated with bDMARDs compared to non-health care controls (P < 0.001), primarily driven by treatment with tumor necrosis factor inhibitors, interleukin-17 (IL-17) inhibitors, and IL-23 inhibitors. Adjusted RRs for untreated IMID patients (1.12 [95% CI 0.75-1.67]) and IMID patients receiving conventional synthetic DMARDs (0.70 [95% CI 0.45-1.08]) were not significantly different from non-health care controls. Lack of seroconversion in PCR-positive participants was more common among bDMARD-treated patients (38.7%) than in non-health care controls (16%). Overall, 44% of positive participants lost SARS-CoV-2 antibodies by follow-up, with higher rates in IMID patients treated with bDMARDs (RR 2.86 [95% CI 1.43-5.74]). Conclusion IMID patients treated with bDMARDs have a lower prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, seroconvert less frequently after SARS-CoV-2 infection, and may exhibit a reduced longevity of their humoral immune response.

Authors with CRIS profile

David Simon Department of Medicine 3 – Rheumatology and Immunology Koray Tascilar Department of Medicine 3 – Rheumatology and Immunology Arnd Kleyer Department of Medicine 3 – Rheumatology and Immunology Filippo Fagni Department of Medicine 3 – Rheumatology and Immunology Gerhard Krönke Professur für Modulation von Immunantworten Christine Meder Department of Dermatology Peter Dietrich Department of Medicine 1 – Gastroenterology, Pneumology and Endocrinology Till Orlemann Department of Medicine 1 – Gastroenterology, Pneumology and Endocrinology Thorsten Kliem Department of Medicine 1 – Gastroenterology, Pneumology and Endocrinology Anna-Maria Liphardt Department of Medicine 3 – Rheumatology and Immunology Louis Schuster Department of Medicine 3 – Rheumatology and Immunology Moritz Leppkes Department of Medicine 1 – Gastroenterology, Pneumology and Endocrinology Andreas Ramming Medizinische Fakultät Milena Pachowsky Department of Medicine 3 – Rheumatology and Immunology Axel Hueber Department of Medicine 3 – Rheumatology and Immunology Karin Manger Medizinische Fakultät Bernhard Manger Professur für Rheumatologie und Klinische Immunologie Raja Atreya Professur für Translationale Immunforschung bei chronisch entzündlichen Darmerkrankungen Carola Berking Lehrstuhl für Haut- und Geschlechtskrankheiten Michael Sticherling Professur für Dermatologie Markus Neurath Lehrstuhl für Innere Medizin I (Medizin 1) Georg Schett Lehrstuhl für Innere Medizin III

How to cite

APA:

Simon, D., Tascilar, K., Kleyer, A., Fagni, F., Krönke, G., Meder, C.,... Schett, G. (2022). Impact of Cytokine Inhibitor Therapy on the Prevalence, Seroconversion Rate, and Longevity of the Humoral Immune Response Against SARS-CoV-2 in an Unvaccinated Cohort. Arthritis and Rheumatology. https://doi.org/10.1002/art.42035

MLA:

Simon, David, et al. "Impact of Cytokine Inhibitor Therapy on the Prevalence, Seroconversion Rate, and Longevity of the Humoral Immune Response Against SARS-CoV-2 in an Unvaccinated Cohort." Arthritis and Rheumatology (2022).

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