Open AccessDetermining the best window for BNT162b2 mRNA vaccination for SARS-CoV-2 in patients with multiple sclerosis receiving anti-CD20 therapy
Author(s) -
Audrey Rico,
Läétitia Ninove,
Adil Maarouf,
Clémence Boutière,
Pierre Durozard,
Sarah Demortière,
Paola Mariela Saba Villarroel,
Abdennour Amroun,
Toscane Fourié,
Xavier de Lamballerie,
Jean Pelletier,
Bertrand Audoin
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
multiple sclerosis journal, experimental, translational and clinical
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2055-2173
DOI - 10.1177/20552173211062142
Subject(s) - medicine , vaccination , rituximab , covid-19 , serology , immunology , b cell , antibody , virology , outbreak , disease , infectious disease (medical specialty)
We studied the serologic response to the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine at four weeks after the second dose in patients with RRMS treated with rituximab with extended-interval dosing ( n = 26). At four weeks, 73% of patients were seropositive. No patient without B cells at the first dose ( n = 4) was seropositive. Four of seven (57%) patients with B-cell proportion >0% and ≤5% were seropositive. All patients with B-cell proportion >5% ( n = 15) were seropositive. In all patients, quantitative ELISA measures after vaccination were correlated with B-cell counts measured before vaccination. In patients receiving rituximab, seropositivity after BNT162b2 mRNA vaccination emerged only after B-cell repopulation.