Steroid treatment suppresses the CD4⁺ T-cell response to the third dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine in systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease patients.

ABSTRACT: Prolonged steroid treatment has a suppressive effect on the immune system, however, its effect on the cellular response to mRNA vaccine is unknown. Here we assessed the impact of prolonged steroid treatment on the T-cell and humoral response to the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) peptide following the third dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine in systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease patients. We found that CD4 T-cell response to the S peptide in patients on high-dose long-term steroid treatment showed significantly less S-peptide specific response, compare to low-dose or untreated patients. Remarkably, these results were not reflected in their humoral response, since almost all patients in the cohort had sufficient antibody levels. Moreover, S-peptide activation failed to induce significant mRNA levels of I

SUBMITTER: Maliah A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9727118 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature