Patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases receiving cytokine inhibitors have low prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 seroconversion
David Simón, Koray Taşçılar, Gerhard Krönke, Arnd Kleyer, Mario M. Zaiss, Franz Heppt, Christine Meder, Raja Atreya, Entcho Klenske, Peter Dietrich, Abdullah Abdullah, Thorsten Kliem, Giulia Corte, Harriet Morf, Moritz Leppkes, Andreas E. Kremer, Andreas Ramming, Milena Pachowsky, Florian Schuch, Monika Ronneberger, Stefan Kleinert, Clara Maier, Axel J. Hueber, Karin Manger, Bernhard Manger, Carola Berking, Matthias Tenbusch, Klaus Überla, Michael Sticherling, Markus F. Neurath, Georg Schett
Abstract
Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) of the joints, gut and skin are treated with inhibitors of inflammatory cytokines. These cytokines are involved in the pathogenesis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Investigating anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody responses in IMIDs we observe a reduced incidence of SARS-CoV-2 seroconversion in IMID patients treated with cytokine inhibitors compared to patients receiving no such inhibitors and two healthy control populations, despite similar social exposure. Hence, cytokine inhibitors seem to at least partially protect from SARS-CoV-2 infection.