Humoral- and T-Cell–Specific Immune Responses to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccination in Patients With MS Using Different Disease-Modifying Therapies
Carla Tortorella, Alessandra Aiello, Claudio Gasperini, Chiara Agrati, Concetta Castilletti, Serena Ruggieri, Silvia Meschi, Giulia Matusali, Francesca Colavita, Chiara Farroni, Gilda Cuzzi, Eleonora Cimini, Eleonora Tartaglia, Valentina Vanini, Luca Prosperini, Shalom Haggiag, S. Galgani, Maria Esmeralda Quartuccio, Andrea Salmi, Federica Repele, Anna Maria Gerarda Altera, Flavia Cristofanelli, Alessandra D’Abramo, Nazario Bevilacqua, Angela Corpolongo, Vincenzo Puro, Francesco Vaia, Maria Rosaria Capobianchi, Giuseppe Ippolito, Emanuele Nicastri, Delia Goletti, on behalf of the INMI COVID-19 Vaccine Study Group, Daniele Lapa, Massimo Francalancia, Aurora Bettini, Giulia Gramigna, Federica Forbici, Paola Gall`ı, Alessandra Marani, Adriano Possi, Andrea Capri, Annapaola Santoro, Nicoletta Orchi, Ornella Butera, Saeid Najafi Fard, Linda Petrone, Elisa Petruccioli
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the immune-specific response after full severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccination of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) treated with different disease-modifying drugs by the detection of both serologic and T-cell responses. METHODS: Healthcare workers (HCWs) and patients with MS, having completed the 2-dose schedule of an mRNA-based vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 in the past 2-4 weeks, were enrolled from 2 parallel prospective studies conducted in Rome, Italy, at the National Institute for Infectious diseases Spallanzani-IRCSS and San Camillo Forlanini Hospital. Serologic response was evaluated by quantifying the region-binding domain (RBD) and neutralizing antibodies. Cell-mediated response was analyzed by a whole-blood test quantifying interferon (IFN)-γ response to spike peptides. Cells responding to spike stimulation were identified by fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis. RESULTS: T cells. DISCUSSION: mRNA vaccines induce both humoral and cell-mediated specific immune responses against spike peptides in all HCWs and in the majority of patients with MS. These results carry relevant implications for managing vaccinations, suggesting promoting vaccination in all treated patients with MS. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This study provides Class III data that SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination induces both humoral and cell-mediated specific immune responses against viral spike proteins in a majority of patients with MS.