Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) treated with ocrelizumab or rituximab (aCD20), are encouraged to get the vaccine against it coronavirus, as their vaccination will prevent the serious development of the disease in case they get stuck. This emerges from a new study, presented in a post on Facebook by the professor of Health Policy at LSE Elias Mosialos.
The British Company for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) – as it points out in its announcement – was one of the first bodies, which since last January had issued instructions vaccination for coronavirus in order to reassure its patients. The experts – according to that announcement – they did not expect the vaccine to worsen the disease or its symptoms, cause relapse or affect the effectiveness of Disease Modifying Treatments (DMT).
The results of the new study
The results of a new US study show that mRNA vaccines are effective against coronavirus in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who are being treated with ocrelizumab or rituximab (aCD20) which reduces the number of B-immune cells in their blood. The researchers analyzed clinical samples of patients before the first dose of the vaccine, 10-12 days after the first dose and before the second dose, 10-12 days after the second dose and 25-30 days after the second dose.
The study included the measurement of both antibodies and T-cell response and thus gave a more complete picture of the immune response. Eighty-five percent of the 20 patients in the study who developed multiple sclerosis and were receiving aCD20 therapy at the same time had developed antibodies against the spike protein 30 days after the second dose of the vaccine.
At the same time, however, the study showed that patients were able to develop a strong immune response through T-immune cells after vaccination. That is, patients who have received aCD20 treatments have T-cell subpopulations that respond to the vaccine.
Compass data for other immunosuppressed groups
According to Elias Mosialos, “such studies of immunosuppressed subgroups, in addition to reassuring patients and their families, are also particularly important. For example, knowing that responses are weaker immediately after anti-CD20 treatment, treating physicians have the data in hand to advise patients to wait a few months after treatment before being vaccinated to increase its potential. vaccination. Work also cites many new elements for the mechanism of the immune response in these patients receiving immunosuppressive regimens, which are particularly useful as study and guidance for other immunosuppressed groupsยป.
It is pointed out that the first author of the study, which was published in the medical journal “Nature Medicine”, is the Greek Dr. Socrates Apostolidis of the Medical School of the University of Pennsylvania, USA, a graduate of the Medical School of Athens.
The article Coronavirus and vaccination of patients with multiple sclerosis – Elias Mosialos: Important new data published in NewsIT .