COVID-19 vaccine-induced antibody and T-cell responses in immunosuppressed patients with inflammatory bowel disease after the third vaccine dose (VIP): a multicentre, prospective, case-control study

Systemic and T cell‐associated responses to SARS‐CoV‐2 immunisation in gut inflammation (STAR SIGN study): effects of biologics on vaccination efficacy of the third dose of mRNA vaccines against SARS‐CoV‐2

“…First, we demonstrated that anti‐TNF treatment attenuates the anti‐spike IgG concentration following third dose vaccination, compared to treatment with non‐anti‐TNF biologics and healthy controls, respectively (Figure 2A,B). These observations are in line with findings from CLARITY‐IBD, VIP, PREVENT‐COVID, HERCULES and Wagner et al, while the STOP COVID‐19 in IBD study could not find reduced antibody concentrations in anti‐TNF‐treated IBD patients when comparing them to IBD patients without immunosuppressive treatment 24–26,28–30 . Importantly, it must be noted that the reduced antibody responses found in this study, might at least partially be influenced by already reduced antibody concentrations in anti‐TNF‐treated patients after two vaccine doses as shown before 10–12,31–37 …”

“…Therefore, vaccination campaigns worldwide recommend a SARS‐CoV‐2 booster vaccine for immunosuppressed patients. Booster vaccines were shown to be safe in IBD patients and several studies analysed booster vaccine‐elicited immune responses in different subgroups of immunocompromised patients 21–27 . However, to our knowledge, this is the first study to prospectively characterise the humoral and functional cellular immune responses following a third dose with SARS‐CoV‐2 mRNA vaccines in IBD patients receiving immunosuppressive treatment and healthy controls.…”

Working towards a comprehensive appraisal of vaccine-induced immunity against SARS-CoV-2 in IBD

“…Previously, the CLARITY-IBD study investigators reported no significant differences in quantities of anti-spike T-cell fractions or IFN-γ-producing T cells in patients with IBD treated with infliximab versus vedolizumab after one or two doses of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. 4 Similarly, the VIP study reported similar T-cell concentrations among patients with IBD treated with infliximab or vedolizumab, 3 and some other studies have found augmented anti-SARS-CoV-2 T-cell fractions in patients with IBD treated with TNF antagonists. 6 , 7 By contrast, a study investigating anti-SARS-CoV-2 serological responses after a third vaccine dose in patients with IBD treated with biologics reported reduced T-cell-mediated IFN-γ concentrations in those treated with TNF antagonists compared with those not treated with such agents.…”

“…The study of Liu and colleagues 1 highlights the consequences of infliximab and vedolizumab therapy for neutralising antibody responses against omicron BA.1 and BA.4/5 variants for patients with IBD; however, similar efforts for other immunosuppressive agents like methotrexate and JAK inhibitors are also important, because these treatments are likely to affect vaccine-induced immunity against SARS-CoV-2. 3 More real-world evidence is required to inform vaccine prioritisation in the foreseeable future. Such information would aid in substantiating personalised vaccination strategies for specific subgroups of patients with IBD—eg, across different disease activity states, disease complications, and the presence of relevant comorbidities.…”

The Effects of the COVID Pandemic on Patients with IBD: Lessons Learned and Future Directions

“…Interestingly anti-TNFs are associated with augmentation of T cell responses, although the biological mechanism behind this is unclear [ 24 , 25 ]. Tofacitinib is associated with diminished T cell responses [ 26 ], whilst ustekinumab and vedolizumab are associated with equivalent responses to the general population.…”