Persistence of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies and anti-Omicron IgG induced by BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine in patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic disease: an explanatory study in JapanResearch in context

Yuta Yamaguchi; Shinichiro Nameki; Yasuhiro Kato; Ryotaro Saita; Tomoharu Sato; Sayaka Nagao; Teruaki Murakami; Yuko Yoshimine; Saori Amiya; Takayoshi Morita; Yasutaka Okita; Takahiro Kawasaki; Jun Fujimoto; Yasutaka Ueda; Yuichi Maeda; Akane Watanabe; Hyota Takamatsu; Sumiyuki Nishida; Yoshihito Shima; Masashi Narazaki; Atsushi Kumanogoh

The Lancet Regional Health. Western Pacific (Mar 2023)

Persistence of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies and anti-Omicron IgG induced by BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine in patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic disease: an explanatory study in JapanResearch in context

Yuta Yamaguchi,
Shinichiro Nameki,
Yasuhiro Kato,
Ryotaro Saita,
Tomoharu Sato,
Sayaka Nagao,
Teruaki Murakami,
Yuko Yoshimine,
Saori Amiya,
Takayoshi Morita,
Yasutaka Okita,
Takahiro Kawasaki,
Jun Fujimoto,
Yasutaka Ueda,
Yuichi Maeda,
Akane Watanabe,
Hyota Takamatsu,
Sumiyuki Nishida,
Yoshihito Shima,
Masashi Narazaki,
Atsushi Kumanogoh

Affiliations

Yuta Yamaguchi: Department of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan; Department of Immunopathology, World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI), Immunology Frontier Research Center (IFReC), Osaka University, Suita, Japan
Shinichiro Nameki: Department of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan; Department of Immunopathology, World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI), Immunology Frontier Research Center (IFReC), Osaka University, Suita, Japan
Yasuhiro Kato: Department of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan; Department of Immunopathology, World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI), Immunology Frontier Research Center (IFReC), Osaka University, Suita, Japan; Corresponding author. Department of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
Ryotaro Saita: Department of Medical Innovation, Osaka University Hospital, Suita, Japan
Tomoharu Sato: Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
Sayaka Nagao: Center for Infectious Diseases for Education and Research (CiDER), Osaka University, Suita, Japan
Teruaki Murakami: Department of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan; Department of Immunopathology, World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI), Immunology Frontier Research Center (IFReC), Osaka University, Suita, Japan
Yuko Yoshimine: Department of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan; Department of Immunopathology, World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI), Immunology Frontier Research Center (IFReC), Osaka University, Suita, Japan
Saori Amiya: Department of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan; Department of Immunopathology, World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI), Immunology Frontier Research Center (IFReC), Osaka University, Suita, Japan
Takayoshi Morita: Department of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan; Department of Immunopathology, World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI), Immunology Frontier Research Center (IFReC), Osaka University, Suita, Japan
Yasutaka Okita: Department of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan; Department of Immunopathology, World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI), Immunology Frontier Research Center (IFReC), Osaka University, Suita, Japan
Takahiro Kawasaki: Department of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan; Department of Immunopathology, World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI), Immunology Frontier Research Center (IFReC), Osaka University, Suita, Japan
Jun Fujimoto: Department of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan; Department of Immunopathology, World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI), Immunology Frontier Research Center (IFReC), Osaka University, Suita, Japan
Yasutaka Ueda: Department of Hematology and Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
Yuichi Maeda: Department of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan; Integrated Frontier Research for Medical Science Division, Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives (OTRI), Osaka University, Suita, Japan
Akane Watanabe: Department of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan; Laboratory of Thermo-Therapeutics for Vascular Dysfunction, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
Hyota Takamatsu: Department of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan; Department of Immunopathology, World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI), Immunology Frontier Research Center (IFReC), Osaka University, Suita, Japan
Sumiyuki Nishida: Department of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
Yoshihito Shima: Department of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan; Laboratory of Thermo-Therapeutics for Vascular Dysfunction, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
Masashi Narazaki: Department of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan; Department of Advanced Clinical and Translational Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
Atsushi Kumanogoh: Department of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan; Department of Immunopathology, World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI), Immunology Frontier Research Center (IFReC), Osaka University, Suita, Japan; Center for Infectious Diseases for Education and Research (CiDER), Osaka University, Suita, Japan; Integrated Frontier Research for Medical Science Division, Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives (OTRI), Osaka University, Suita, Japan; Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development—Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (AMED–CREST), Osaka University, Osaka, Japan; Center for Advanced Modalities and DDS (CAMaD), Osaka University, Osaka, Japan

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 32
p. 100661

Abstract

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Summary: Background: Autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic disease (AIRD) patients are at high risk of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but the medium-term effects of immunosuppressants on vaccine efficacy are unknown. We investigated the duration of humoral responses against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) wild-type and Omicron variant in AIRD patients administered with two doses of the BNT162b2 (Pfizer–BioNTech) vaccine. Methods: Serum-neutralizing antibody (NAb) and anti-receptor-binding domain (RBD)/spike antibody levels were measured. Short- and medium-term effects of immunosuppressants were analyzed pre-vaccination (Term 1) and 14–42 days (Term 2) and 100–200 days (Term 3) after the second vaccination. Findings: From Feb 1, 2021, to Feb 28, 2022, 439 AIRD patients and 146 healthy controls were investigated. The seropositivity rate and log10-NAb titers were significantly lower in AIRD patients than in controls at Terms 2 and 3. In rheumatoid arthritis patients, tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitors (TNFis) at Term 3, and older age, glucocorticoids, and abatacept at Terms 2 and 3 were risk factors for reduced responses. Anti-Omicron RBD/spike IgG levels strongly correlated with NAb titers. Interpretation: Glucocorticoids, TNFis, and abatacept treatments negatively affect the longevity of humoral responses to SARS-CoV-2, including Omicron, after two vaccine doses. These findings may inform the timing of additional vaccination for AIRD patients. Funding: Cloud Funding of Peace Winds Japan; Center of Innovation Program from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan; Japan Society for the Promotion of Science KAKENHI; Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development; Kansai Economic Federation; Mitsubishi Zaidan; and Research Grant from Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development—Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology.

Published in The Lancet Regional Health. Western Pacific

ISSN: 2666-6065 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Medicine: Public aspects of medicine
Website: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanwpc/home

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