Background: The effect of disease-modifying therapies on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine response is unclear.
Objectives: We aim to determine the immunological responses to SARS-CoV-2 in multiple sclerosis (MS) and anti-CD20-treated patients with other autoimmune diseases (AID).
Methods: Humoral and cellular responses we determined before and 30-90 days after vaccination in patients with MS and anti-CD20-treated patients with other AID in two Catalan centers.
Results: 457 patients were enrolled. Findings showed that humoral response decreased under anti-CD20s or sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor modulators (S1PRM) and with longer treatment duration and increased after 4.5 months from the last anti-CD20 infusion. Cellular response decreased in S1PRM-treated. Patients on anti-CD20 can present cellular responses even in the absence of antibodies.
Conclusion: Anti-CD20s and S1PRM modify the immunological responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; cellular response; disease-modifying therapy; humoral response; multiple sclerosis.