Increment of immunogenicity after third dose of a homologous inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in a large population of patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases. Issue 7 (11th March 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Aikawa, Nádia Emi; Kupa, Leonard de Vinci Kanda; Medeiros-Ribeiro, Ana Cristina; Saad, Carla Goncalves Schahin; Yuki, Emily Figueiredo Neves; Pasoto, Sandra Gofinet; Rojo, Priscila Tagliaferro; Pereira, Rosa Maria Rodrigues; Shinjo, Samuel Katsuyuki; Sampaio-Barros, Percival Degrava; Andrade, Danieli Castro Oliveira; Halpern, Ari Stiel Radu; Fuller, Ricardo; Souza, Fernando Henrique Carlos; Guedes, Lissiane Karine Noronha; Assad, Ana Paula Luppino; Moraes, Julio Cesar Bertacini de; Lopes, Michelle Remiao Ugolini; Martins, Victor Adriano de Oliveira; Betancourt, Lorena; Ribeiro, Carolina Torres; Sales, Lucas Peixoto; Bertoglio, Isabela Maria; Bonoldi, Virginia Lucia Nazario; Mello, Renata Lys Pinheiro; Balbi, Gustavo Guimaraes Moreira; Sartori, Ana Marli Christovam; Antonangelo, Leila; Silva, Clóvis Artur; Bonfa, Eloisa
• Is Part Of: Annals of the rheumatic diseases. Volume 81:Issue 7(2022)
• Page Start: 1036
• Page End: 1043
• Publication Date: 2022-03-11
• Subjects: COVID-19 -- autoimmune diseases -- vaccination -- biological therapy -- therapeutics; Rheumatism -- Periodicals; 616.723005
• DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2021-222096
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0003-4967

Abstract

Abstract : Objective: To determine the immunogenicity of the third dose of CoronaVac vaccine in a large population of patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARD) and the factors associated with impaired response. Methods: Adult patients with ARD and age-balanced/sex-balanced controls (control group, CG) previously vaccinated with two doses of CoronaVac received the third dose at D210 (6 months after the second dose). The presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 S1/S2 IgG and neutralising antibodies (NAb) was evaluated previously to vaccination (D210) and 30 days later (D240). Patients with controlled disease suspended mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) for 7 days or methotrexate (MTX) for 2 weekly doses after vaccination. Results: ARD (n=597) and CG (n=199) had comparable age (p=0.943). Anti-S1/S2 IgG seropositivity rates significantly increased from D210 (60%) to D240 (93%) (p<0.0001) in patients with ARD. NAb positivity also increased: 38% (D210) vs 81.4% (D240) (p<0.0001). The same pattern was observed for CG, with significantly higher frequencies for both parameters at D240 (p<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analyses in the ARD group revealed that older age (OR=0.98, 95% CI 0.96 to 1.0, p=0.024), vasculitis diagnosis (OR=0.24, 95% CI 0.11 to 0.53, p<0.001), prednisone ≥5 mg/day (OR=0.46, 95% CI 0.27 to 0.77, p=0.003), MMF (OR=0.30, 95% CI 0.15 to 0.61, p<0.001) and biologics (OR=0.27, 95% CI 0.16 to 0.46, p<0.001) were associated with reduced anti-S1/S2 IgG positivity. Similar analyses demonstrated that prednisone ≥5 mg/day (OR=0.63, 95% CI 0.44 to 0.90, p=0.011), abatacept (OR=0.39, 95% CI 0.20 to 0.74, p=0.004), belimumab (OR=0.29, 95% CI 0.13 to 0.67, p=0.004) and rituximab (OR=0.11, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.30, p<0.001) were negatively associated with NAb positivity. Further evaluation of COVID-19 seronegative ARD at D210 demonstrated prominent increases in positivity rates at D240 for anti-S1/S2 IgG (80.5%) and NAb (59.1%) (p<0.0001). Conclusions: We provide novel data on a robust response to the third dose of CoronaVac in patients with ARD, even in those with prevaccination COVID-19 seronegative status. Drugs implicated in reducing immunogenicity after the regular two-dose regimen were associated with non-responsiveness after the third dose, except for MTX. Trial registration number NCT04754698 .