Seroconversion among rituximab-treated patients following SARS-CoV-2 vaccine supplemental dose.

ABSTRACT: Rituximab (RTX) is a very effective treatment for autoimmune rheumatic diseases (AIRD), but it increases infection risk and impairs vaccine responses. Herein we evaluated the antibody response of RTX-treated patients to the supplemental COVID-19 vaccine. After the supplemental dose, 53.1% of patients had detectable antibody titers. Only 36% of patients who did not mount an antibody response after the original vaccine series did have detectable antibodies after the supplemental dose (seroconversion). Patients with undetectable CD20⁺ cell levels did not seroconvert while hypogammaglobulinemia was associated with a 15-times decrease in the likelihood of seroconversion. Although we noted 11 COVID-19 infections after the supplemental dose, no patients who received monoclonal antibodi

SUBMITTER: Rose E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9547394 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature