Lower response to BNT162b2 vaccine in patients with myelofibrosis compared to polycythemia vera and essential thrombocythemia
Fulvia Pimpinelli, Francesco Marchesi, Giulia Piaggio, Diana Giannarelli, Elena Papa, Paolo Falcucci, Antonio Spadea, Martina Pontone, Simona Di Martino, Valentina Laquintana, Antonia La Malfa, Enea Gino Di Domenico, Ornella Di Bella, Gianluca Falzone, Fabrizio Ensoli, Branka Vujovic, Aldo Morrone, Gennaro Ciliberto, Andrea Mengarelli
Abstract
In a population of 42 Philadelphia negative myeloproliferative neoplasm patients, all on systemic active treatment, the likelihood of responding to anti-SARS-CoV-2 BNT162b2 vaccine at 2 weeks after the second dose was significantly lower in the ten patients with myelofibrosis compared to the 32 with essential thrombocythemia (n = 17) and polycythemia vera (n = 15) grouped together, both in terms of neutralizing anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG titers and seroprotection rates (32.47 AU/mL vs 217.97 AU/mL, p = 0.003 and 60% vs 93.8%, p = 0.021, respectively). Ruxolitinib, which was the ongoing treatment in five patients with myelofibrosis and three with polycythemia vera, may be implicated in reducing vaccine immunogenicity (p = 0.076), though large prospective study is needed to address this issue.