Differential Immunogenicity of mRNA-based and Inactivated Virus COVID-19 Vaccines in Patients with Inflammatory Rheumatic Disease - A Prospective Study up to 12 Months Post-3rd Dose

Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, 2 types of COVID-19 vaccines were made available in Hong Kong - the mRNA-based vaccine and the inactivated virus vaccine. All residents were required to complete 3 vaccinations. There is concern that immunogenicity acquired from COVID-19 vaccinations could be...

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Main Authors: Nga Sze Wong, Isaac T Cheng, Tracey Yu, Vivien Chan, Tena Li, Lai-Shan Tam, Paul KS Chan, Ho So
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: World Scientific Publishing 2024-01-01
Series:Journal of Clinical Rheumatology and Immunology
Online Access:https://www.worldscientific.com/doi/10.1142/S2661341724740432
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Summary:Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, 2 types of COVID-19 vaccines were made available in Hong Kong - the mRNA-based vaccine and the inactivated virus vaccine. All residents were required to complete 3 vaccinations. There is concern that immunogenicity acquired from COVID-19 vaccinations could be unsustainable in patients with inflammatory rheumatic disease (IRD) due to the underlying condition and immunosuppressive medication used. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the immunogenicity of COVID-19 vaccines and its sustainability in IRD patients. Methods This single-centre cohort was assembled prospectively from 8/2021 - 2/2022 in Hong Kong. Peripheral blood samples were collected from the patients before, 28 (± 3) days and 12 months after the third dose of COVID-19 vaccination. The neutralising antibody titre against the SARS-CoV-2 virus was quantified by ELISA. Results A total of 83 patients (age: 51.4± 11.7 years; 72.3% female; 17 rheumatoid arthritis, 17 psoriatic arthritis, 12 axial spondylarthritis, 37 systematic lupus erythematosus) attended all 3 visits. The vaccine distribution is summarized in Fig. 1A. Majority (96.4%) of patients had positive neutralising antibodies before the 3rd vaccine dose despite a low mean titre of 38.2± 29.7%. The antibody titre improved significantly after the 3rd dose (85.9± 23.8%) and was maintained at the 12-month visit (87.5± 22.6%). The mean antibody levels pre- and post-3rd dose were higher in patients who took mRNA-based vaccine (Fig. 1B). The presence of COVID-19 infection during the follow-up period led to significantly higher antibody titre at the 12-month visit (Table 1). There were no significant associations between immunogenicity and age, type of IRD, biologic/targeted Disease Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs usage as well as additional booster doses. Conclusion 3 doses of COVID-19 vaccine produced sustained humoral response in IRD patients. The immunogenicity appeared to be dependent on the type of vaccines received in the short term and breakthrough infection in longer term.
ISSN:2661-3417
2661-3425