RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Longitudinal characterisation of B and T-cell immune responses after the booster dose of COVID-19 mRNA-vaccine in people with multiple sclerosis using different disease-modifying therapies
JF Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry
JO J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP 290
OP 299
DO 10.1136/jnnp-2022-330175
VO 94
IS 4
A1 Alessandra Aiello
A1 Andrea Coppola
A1 Serena Ruggieri
A1 Chiara Farroni
A1 Anna Maria Gerarda Altera
A1 Andrea Salmi
A1 Valentina Vanini
A1 Gilda Cuzzi
A1 Linda Petrone
A1 Silvia Meschi
A1 Daniele Lapa
A1 Aurora Bettini
A1 Shalom Haggiag
A1 Luca Prosperini
A1 Simonetta Galgani
A1 Maria Esmeralda Quartuccio
A1 Nazario Bevilacqua
A1 Anna Rosa Garbuglia
A1 Chiara Agrati
A1 Vincenzo Puro
A1 Carla Tortorella
A1 Claudio Gasperini
A1 Emanuele Nicastri
A1 Delia Goletti
YR 2023
UL http://jnnp.bmj.com/content/94/4/290.abstract
AB Background The decline of humoral response to COVID-19 vaccine led to authorise a booster dose. Here, we characterised the kinetics of B-cell and T-cell immune responses in patients with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) after the booster dose.Methods We enrolled 22 PwMS and 40 healthcare workers (HCWs) after 4–6 weeks from the booster dose (T3). Thirty HCWs and 19 PwMS were also recruited 6 months (T2) after the first dose. Antibody response was measured by anti-receptor-binding domain (RBD)-IgG detection, cell-mediated response by an interferon (IFN)-γ release assay (IGRA), Th1 cytokines and T-cell memory profile by flow cytometry.Results Booster dose increased anti-RBD-IgG titers in fingolimod-treated, cladribine-treated and IFN-β-treated patients, but not in ocrelizumab-treated patients, although antibody titres were lower than HCWs. A higher number of fingolimod-treated patients seroconverted at T3. Differently, T-cell response evaluated by IGRA remained stable in PwMS independently of therapy. Spike-specific Th1-cytokine response was mainly CD4+ T-cell-mediated, and in PwMS was significantly reduced (p<0.0001) with impaired IL-2 production compared with HCWs at T3. In PwMS, total Th1 and IFN-γ CD4+ T-cell responders to spike protein were increased from T2 to T3.Compared with HCWs, PwMS presented a higher frequency of CD4+ and CD8+ terminally differentiated effector memory cells and of CD4+ effector memory (TEM) cells, independently of the stimulus suggesting the association of this phenotype with MS status. CD4+ and CD8+ TEM cell frequency was further increased at T3 compared with T2.Conclusions COVID-19 vaccine booster strengthens humoral and Th1-cell responses and increases TEM cells in PwMS.All data relevant to the study are included in the article or uploaded as online supplementary information.