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Ongoing Mycophenolate Treatment Impairs Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination Response in Patients Affected by Chronic Inflammatory Autoimmune Diseases or Liver Transplantation Recipients: Results of the RIVALSA Prospective Cohort

Authors :
Erika Zecca
Manuela Rizzi
Stelvio Tonello
Erica Matino
Martina Costanzo
Eleonora Rizzi
Giuseppe Francesco Casciaro
Giulia Francesca Manfredi
Antonio Acquaviva
Ileana Gagliardi
Elisa Calzaducca
Venkata Ramana Mallela
Davide D’Onghia
Rosalba Minisini
Mattia Bellan
Luigi Mario Castello
Francesco Gavelli
Gian Carlo Avanzi
Filippo Patrucco
Annalisa Chiocchetti
Mario Pirisi
Cristina Rigamonti
Daniele Lilleri
Daniele Sola
Pier Paolo Sainaghi
Source :
Viruses, Vol 14, Iss 8, p 1766 (2022)
Publication Year :
2022
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2022.

Abstract

Vaccines are the most effective means to prevent the potentially deadly effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection, but not all vaccinated individuals gain the same degree of protection. Patients undergoing chronic immunosuppressive therapy due to autoimmune diseases or liver transplants, for example, may show impaired anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody response after vaccination. We performed a prospective observational study with parallel arms, aiming to (a) evaluate seroconversion after anti-SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine administration in different subgroups of patients receiving immunosuppressive treatment for rheumatological or autoimmune diseases or to prevent organ rejection after liver transplantation and (b) identify negative predictors of IgG anti-SARS-CoV-2 development. Out of 437 eligible patients, 183 individuals were enrolled at the Rheumatology and Hepatology Tertiary Units of “Maggiore della Carità” University Hospital in Novara: of those, 52 were healthy subjects, while among the remaining 131 patients, 30 had a diagnosis of spondyloarthritis, 25 had autoimmune hepatitis, 10 were liver transplantation recipients, 23 suffered from connective tissue diseases (including 10 cases that overlapped with other diseases), 40 were treated for rheumatoid arthritis, and 5 had vasculitis. Moreover, all patients were receiving chronic immunosuppressive therapy. The immunogenicity of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines was evaluated by measuring IgG anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers before vaccination and after 10, 30, and 90 days since the first dose administration. Of the selected cohort of patients, 24.0% did not develop any detectable anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG after a complete mRNA-based two doses primary vaccination cycle. At univariate analysis, independent predictors of an absent antibody response to vaccine were a history of liver transplantation (OR 11.5, 95% CI 2.5–53.7, p = 0.0018), the presence of a comorbid active neoplasia (OR 26.4, 95% CI 2.8–252.4, p = 0.0045), and an ongoing immunosuppressive treatment with mycophenolate (MMF) (OR 14.0, 95% CI 3.6–54.9, p = 0.0002) or with calcineurin inhibitors (OR 17.5, 95% CI 3.1–99.0, p = 0.0012). At multivariate analysis, only treatment with MMF (OR 24.8, 95% CI 5.9–103.2, p < 0.0001) and active neoplasia (OR 33.2, 95% CI 5.4–204.1, p = 0.0002) were independent predictors of seroconversion failure. These findings suggest that MMF dose reduction or suspension may be required to optimize vaccine response in these patients.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
19994915
Volume :
14
Issue :
8
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Viruses
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.8cefecdb0cba41eeb5b6e6548f25fbc7
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/v14081766